EP0243214A2 - Locking device for use as an anti-theft means for an electric lock of a motor vehicle, and such a lock - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A locking device, in particular an anti-theft device for actuating a lock or electric lock, in particular for a door lock of a motor vehicle, comprising on the one hand, a bolt intended to lock a pin for actuating the lock, this bolt when actuated, opposing any manual action on the pull knob of the trim or equivalent, which pull knob is connected to the actuating pin, the said bolt being capable of transverse displacement relative to the direction of movement of the actuating pin, and of cooperating with the bearing surfaces provided on this pin, and, on the other hand, means for driving the bolt, characterized in that the above mentioned means (4) for driving the bolt comprise elastic means (9) disposed between the bolt (2) and a push member (10) in such a way that the force intended to displace the bolt (2) in the direction corresponding to the locking of the actuating pin (3) is transmitted by the said elastic means (9), provision being made for a sufficient gap (e) between the push member (10) and the bolt (2) along the direction of displacement of the bolt to allow the elastic means (9) to absorb the displacement of the push member (10) if the bolt (2) meets an obstacle and is stopped in its displacement.

Description

The invention relates to a blocking device, in particular an anti-theft device, for a lock actuator or electric lock, in particular for a door lock of a motor vehicle, a device of the type of those which include, on the one hand , a lock intended to block an actuator control rod, this lock, when actuated, opposing manual action on a frieze zipper, or equivalent, linked to the control rod, said lock being able to be moved transversely relative to the direction of movement of the control rod, and to cooperate with abutment surfaces provided on this rod and, on the other hand, means for driving the lock.

We know that the frieze zipper, or equivalent, allows manual unlocking of the lock on the side opposite the entry of the key. In particular, in the case of a motor vehicle, the frieze zipper allows, from the inside, to control the lock and, for example, unlock it if the door has been closed from the outside. If the door glass is broken, access to the frieze pull is permitted and the door can be opened after unlocking the lock.

The problem arises, in particular, for motor vehicle door locks with electric actuator; these actuators include a disengagement of their control rod so as to allow the manual execution of the locking-unlocking functions, without having to drive the electric motor via the reduction or reduction system, since such drive would require effort additional important. For security reasons, attempts have been made to supplement these actuators with a blocking or anti-theft device which makes it possible to lock the control rod, when the lock is locked, to prevent any possibility of action. manual on the frieze puller to unlock the lock.

The blocking devices proposed to date require improvement both from the point of view of their simplicity of construction, and from the point of view of the safety of their operation.

The object of the invention is, above all, to provide a locking device for an actuator, of the type defined above, which better meets the various requirements of practice than hitherto and which, in particular, is of simple construction and economical and has high operating reliability. It is further desired that this blocking device can be controlled without problem by an electric motor or equivalent.

According to the invention, a blocking device, in particular an anti-theft device, for a lock actuator or electric lock, in particular for the door lock of a motor vehicle, of the kind defined above, is characterized in that the above means for driving the lock comprise elastic means arranged between the lock and a thrust member, so that the force intended to move the lock in the direction corresponding to the blocking of the control rod, is transmitted by the above means elastic, sufficient space being provided between the thrust member and the latch, in the direction of movement of the latch, to allow the elastic means to absorb the displacement of the thrust member if the latch encounters an obstacle and is stopped in its displacement.

The drive means can come directly into contact with the lock or a part secured to the lock to control the movement of this lock in the direction which causes unlocking.

The drive means may comprise a rotary cam capable of acting on the thrust member and on the latch or an integral part of this latch, depending on the direction of rotation of the cam.

This rotary cam is advantageously constituted by an eccentric disc.

A rectangular light can be passed through the lock, two sides of which are parallel to the direction of movement of the lock, the said rotary cam being disposed inside this light so as to cooperate with the rear part of the light remote from the area of the lock intended to cooperate with the abutment surfaces of the said control rod, the aforesaid thrust member also being placed in this light on the side of the cam opposite to the rear part of the light, the said elastic means being placed between the thrust member and a front transverse edge of said lumen. A blind hole can be provided in the thrust member and in the aforesaid transverse front edge to serve as housing for part of the elastic means.

These elastic means are preferably constituted by a helical compression spring.

The pushing member can be formed by a piece with a U-shaped cross section, the aforementioned cam being housed in the concavity of the U, while the branches of this U are in sliding contact with the faces of the lumen of the lock which are parallel to the direction of movement of this lock.

The control rod may include a rack, the teeth of which constitute the abutment surfaces; the lock is then constituted by a comb, or the like, and comprises complementary teeth capable of engaging between those of the rack.

The drive means advantageously include an electric motor capable of driving the above-mentioned rotary cam in rotation in order to control the locking or unlocking.

The invention also relates to a lock equipped with a blocking device as defined above.

• - la figure 1 de ces dessins est une vue en cou­pe longitudinale, partielle, d'un actionneur équipé d'un dispositif de blocage conforme à l'invention ;
• - la figure 2 est une vue schématique suivant la ligne II-II,fig. 1, partielle, de l'actionneur équipé d'un blocage en position de verrouillage ;
• - la figure 3 montre, semblablement à la figure 2, le dispositif de blocage alors que le verrou est en butée contre un obstacle formé par les dents de la crémaillère ;
• - la figure 4 est une vue partielle suivant la ligne IV-IV, figure 3 ;
• - la figure 5 montre, semblablement à la figure 2, le dispositif de blocage en position déverrouillée ;
• - la figure 6, enfin, est une vue partielle sui­vant la ligne VI-VI, figure 5.

The invention consists, apart from the arrangements set out above, of a certain number of other arrangements which will be more explicitly discussed below. about a particular embodiment described with reference to the attached drawings, but which is in no way limiting:

• - Figure 1 of these drawings is a longitudinal sectional view, partially, of an actuator equipped with a locking device according to the invention;
• - Figure 2 is a schematic view along the line II-II, fig. 1, partial, of the actuator equipped with a blocking in the locking position;
• - Figure 3 shows, similarly to Figure 2, the locking device while the lock is in abutment against an obstacle formed by the teeth of the rack;
• - Figure 4 is a partial view along the line IV-IV, Figure 3;
• - Figure 5 shows, similarly to Figure 2, the locking device in the unlocked position;
• - Figure 6, finally, is a partial view along line VI-VI, Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, in particular in FIG. 1, one can see a locking device D for an actuator 1, more particularly a door lock actuator of a motor vehicle. The device D comprises, on the one hand, a lock 2 intended to block a control rod 3 of the actuator and, on the other hand, drive means 4 for the lock 2. In the case where the control rod 3 is provided in an electric lock, this rod 3 acts, in a conventional manner, on a mechanism not shown, making it possible to move a lever; an example of a mechanism associated with the control rod is described in French Patent ^No. 82-17072 filed October 12, 1982 in the name of the applicant and published under number 2534 303. Just refer to this document for more in detail on a mechanism capable of being associated with control rod 3.

The latch 2, when it is actuated and occupies the locking position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is suitable for opposing manual action on a frieze zipper (not shown), or equivalent, linked to the control rod 3, for example by means of an ear 5 provided with a hole 6, provided at the end of the rod 3. The lock 2 is suitable for being moved transversely, and, generally, orthogonally by relative to the direction A of the movement of the rod 3. When the lock 2 is actuated and occupies the unlocking position, the rod 3 can be moved in translation, in this direction A, by any appropriate means, in particular due to the cooperation a screw 7, driven in rotation but immobilized in direction A, with a nut immobilized in rotation, but which can move in translation in direction A, this nut being linked to rod 3. The control of the rotation of the screw 7 can be provided by an electric motor not shown in Figure 1. The axial end 8 of the screw 7 is arranged in the form of a pin mounted in a plain bearing.

The drive means 4 of the lock 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) comprise elastic means 9 arranged between the lock 2 and a pushing member 10, so that the force intended to move the lock 2 in the corresponding direction when the rod 3 is blocked is transmitted by the above elastic means 9. Sufficient space is provided between the thrust member 10 and the latch 2 to allow the elastic means 9 to absorb the displacement of the thrust member 10 , if the latch 2 encounters an obstacle and is stopped in its movement as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The drive means 4 come directly into contact with the lock 2 (see Figures 5 and 6) or a part integral with this lock, to control the movement of said lock in the direction which causes unlocking.

The drive means 4 comprise a rotary cam 11 advantageously constituted by an eccentric disc 12. This disc 12 is locked in rotation on a shaft 13 whose geometric axis is offset relative to the center of the disc 12. The shaft 13 is advantageously constituted by the output shaft of an electric motor 14 housed inside of the housing 15 of the actuator. The shaft 13 is parallel to the direction A.

The lock 2 is constituted by a sort of plate with a rectangular outline, the mean plane of this plate being orthogonal to direction A. The plate constituting the lock 2 is mounted in a housing 16 (FIG. 1) of the housing 15, the mean plane is orthogonal to tree 13; this housing 16 has two parallel faces 17 serving to guide the movements of the plate constituting the lock 2.

This lock 2 is crossed by a light 18 of rectangular shape, opening onto the two large flat faces of the lock 2. Two sides 19, 20 of the light 18 are parallel to the direction of movement of the lock and are intended to serve as a guide for the thrust member 10. The rotary cam 11 is disposed inside the light 18 so as to be able to cooperate with the rear part 21 of the light, this part 21 being distant from the front zone 22 of the latch 2 intended to cooperate with the abutment surfaces B of the said control rod 3. The pushing member 10 is also placed in the slot 18; this member 10 is located on the side of the cam 11 opposite the rear part 21 of the slot 18. The elastic means 9 are placed between the thrust member 10 and the front transverse edge 23 of the slot 18. The elastic means 9 advantageously consist of a helical compression spring 24, the ends of which are engaged in blind holes 25, 26 provided respectively in the thrust member 10 and in the transverse edge 23.

The pushing member 10, as visible in FIG. 2, is advantageously formed by a part with a U-shaped cross section turning its concavity towards the rear part 21 of the slot 18. The cam 11 is housed in the concavity of the U and the branches of this U are in sliding contact, through their outer surfaces, with the faces 19, 20 of the slot 18 of the lock.

The control rod 3 comprises, on its longitudinal edge turned towards the latch 2, a rack 27 whose teeth 28 constitute, by their lateral surfaces substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the rod 3, the abutment surfaces B. As also visible in FIG. 1, the rod 3 may have a central longitudinal opening 29 comprised between two branches of this rod 3. This opening 29 is suitable for receiving the screw 7. The ends of the branches of the rod 3 projecting from the housing 15 are joined by a transverse plate 30 secured to the ear 5.

The latch 2 comprises, on its face turned towards the rod 3, complementary teeth 31, two in number according to the embodiment of Figure 1, suitable for engaging between those 28 of the rack.

However, the operation of the locking device according to the invention is as follows.

To achieve a locking, that is to say to block the rod 3 and prevent any movement by manual action on this rod 3, the power to the electric motor 14 is controlled so that this motor rotates in a direction which causes moving the lock 2 in the direction of the rod 3, in order to engage the teeth 31 of the lock 2 between those 28 of the rack.

According to the representation of FIG. 2, the direction of rotation of the eccentric 12 and therefore of the shaft 13 of the motor which allows such movement of the lock 2 to ensure the locking corresponds to the direction of rotation of the hands of a watch.

During this rotation, the disc 12, by its periphery, presses against the internal transverse face of the thrust member 10 which is moved in the direction of the rod 3. The elastic means 9 (spring 24) transmit a thrust force to the latch 2, in the direction of rod 3.

If the teeth 31 of the latch 2 are not in correspondence with the recesses located between the teeth 28 of the rack 3, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the spring 24 is compressed while allowing the displacement of the thrust member 10 and the end of the rotational movement of the eccentric disc 12, as shown in FIG. 3. When the disc 12 comes to the end of its rotational movement which corresponds to the maximum possible displacement of the member 10, controlled by this disc, in the direction of the rod 3, the power to the electric motor 14 is cut.

As soon as the control rod 3 moves very slightly in one direction or the other, in the direction A, the teeth 31 of the lock will be in alignment with spaces located between teeth 28 of the rod 3. The lock 2, pushed by the compressed spring 24 which will slightly relax, can move so that the teeth 31 penetrate into the spaces between the teeth 28, which locks the rod 3.

Thus, despite the obstacle encountered by the teeth 31 during the first phase of their movement, an obstacle constituted by the tops of the teeth 28 of the rack, the movement of the eccentric 12 and of the shaft 13 of the motor was able continue until its normal end of travel, without damage to the mechanism or the electric motor.

If, during movement, the teeth 31 are aligned with spaces located between teeth 28 of the rack, the locking takes place immediately, without the additional compression phase of the spring 24, described above, occurring.

The locking position is ensured maintained because the spring 24 keeps the thrust member 10 in contact with the cam 11 and the latch 2 in contact with the rod 3, which prevents any untimely movement of the device, due to vibrations for example. The unlocking of the rod 3 is obtained by controlling the rotation of the shaft 13 and of the motor 14 in the opposite direction to that which caused the locking. According to the representation of FIG. 5, this movement corresponds to a rotation of the cam 11 along counterclockwise.

During this rotation, the cam 11, that is to say the eccentric disc 12, leaves its extreme position in FIGS. 2 and 3 which was slightly beyond the point of maximum compression of the spring 24; at the start of its movement anticlockwise, the cam 11 therefore slightly compresses the spring 24 until it passes through the point of maximum compression. The rotational movement continuing, the periphery of the cam 11 moves away from the rod 3. The zone of the periphery of the cam 11 opposite the member 10 comes into contact with the rear transverse edge 21 of the lumen 18, which causes a retraction of the lock 2 relative to the rod 3, and the release of the teeth 31 from those 28 of the rack.

When the cam 11 reaches the end of the travel in its direction of rotation controlling the unlocking, the electrical supply to the motor 14 is cut off.

The unlocking position is ensured maintained because the spring 24 keeps the thrust member 10 in contact with the cam 11, and the latch 2 in contact with the housing 15, which prevents any untimely movement of the device due to vibrations for example.

The locking device, according to the invention, is of a simple embodiment, while being of a particularly safe operation.

Claims (11)

1 - blocking device, in particular anti-theft device, for a lock actuator or electric lock, in particular for a door lock of a motor vehicle, comprising, on the one hand, a lock intended to block a control rod for the lock, this lock, when activated, opposing a manual action on a frieze zipper, or equivalent, linked to the control rod, said lock being adapted to be moved transversely relative to the direction of movement of the rod control, and to cooperate with abutment surfaces provided on this rod and, on the other hand, means for driving the lock, characterized in that the above drive means (4) for the lock comprise elastic means (9) arranged between the lock (2) and a thrust member (10) so that the force intended to move the lock (2) in the direction corresponding to the blocking of the control rod (3) is transmitted by the above elastic means (9), a space ( e) sufficient being provided between the pushing member (10) and the latch (2), in the direction of movement of the latch, to allow the elastic means (9) to absorb the movement of the pushing member (10 ) if the lock (2) encounters an obstacle and is stopped in its movement. 2- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive means (4) come directly into contact with the lock (2) or a part integral with the lock to control the movement of this lock (2) in the direction which causes unlocking. 3 - Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drive means (4) comprise a rotary cam (11) capable of acting on the thrust member (10) or on the latch (2) or an integral part of the lock, according to the direction of rotation of the cam (11). 4 - Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the rotary cam (11) is constituted by an eccentric disc (12). 5 - Device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the latch (2) is crossed by a light (18) of rectangular shape, two sides (19, 20) are parallel to the direction of movement of the latch, the the aforesaid rotary cam (11) being arranged inside this light (18) so as to cooperate with the rear part (21) of the light remote from the zone (22) of the lock intended to cooperate with the abutment surfaces ( B) of the aforesaid control rod (3), the aforesaid pushing member (10) being also placed in this light (18) on the side of the cam (11) opposite to the rear part (21) of the light, the the above elastic means being placed between the thrust member (10) and a front transverse edge (22) of the lumen. 6 - Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic means (9) consist of a helical compression spring (24). 7 - Device according to all of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that a blind hole (25, 26) is provided respectively in the thrust member (10) and the front transverse edge (22) of the light (18) to receive one end of the spring (24). 8 - Device according to claim 5 or according to all of claim 5 and claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the thrust member (10) is formed by a piece with a U-shaped cross section, the above cam (11) being housed in the concavity of the U, the branches of this U being in sliding contact with the faces (19, 20) of the slot (18) of the lock which are parallel to the direction of movement of this lock. 9 - Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control rod (3) comprises a rack (27) whose teeth (28) are kill the abutment surfaces, characterized in that the lock (2) is constituted by a comb comprising complementary teeth (31) suitable for engaging between those (28) of the rack. 10 - Device according to claim 3 or according to all of claim 3 and any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the drive means (4) comprise an electric motor (14) suitable for rotate the above rotary cam (11). 11 - Lock characterized in that it is equipped with a locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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