EP0424719B1 - Bonnet lock or lock for a door of a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle hood lock or door lock with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The known motor vehicle hood lock (in principle also suitable as a lock for a tailgate or the like.) From which the invention is based (US Pat. No. 2,896,990) has one attached to the body, namely on the frame for a trunk lid, in a housing , extendable and retractable locking wedge using a threaded spindle. This striker is designed like a bow, as the term striker does not necessarily presuppose a wedge shape, but rather generally refers to the abutment for the catch of a motor vehicle hood lock or door lock as terminus technicus. Other names are locking blocks, locking brackets, etc. In the prior art, the threaded spindle is driven by an electric motor which can be operated in two directions of rotation via a reduction gear. When the rotary latch engages on the striker, the electric drive motor is switched on via an electric switch and the striker is moved into the closed position, in which the electric motor is then switched off again. An electromagnetic central locking drive is assigned to the rotary latch, which releases the rotary latch to open the motor vehicle hood lock, as a result of which the electric motor for the locking wedge is then started again via the electric switch provided, in order to put the locking wedge back into the, regardless of the rotary latch bring extended opening position.

The previously described, known motor vehicle hood lock or door lock, from which the invention is based, is structurally complex, takes up a lot of space, has a high weight and is therefore particularly unsuitable, in particular, for an arrangement in a trunk lid. Consequently, the distribution in this prior art is also such that the locking wedge that is movable by an electric motor is located in the frame and the rotary latch that is only electromagnetically triggered is located in the trunk lid.

Moreover, it is known for central locking drives for triggering a rotary latch or the like in motor vehicle door locks (US Pat. No. 3,384,405), that only one-way, in the opposite direction automatically resettable drives, especially pneumatic drives, take up very little space and are quite light.

For the teaching of the invention, the problem arises of creating a motor vehicle hood lock or door lock constructed in a functionally similar manner with the motor vehicle hood lock or door lock explained at the outset, which takes up much less space and is considerably lighter.

The above-mentioned object is achieved in a motor vehicle hood lock or door lock with the features of the preamble of claim 1 by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1. The motor vehicle hood lock according to the invention (hereinafter referred to only as such, without this being a limitation) is particularly suitable for attaching the retractable and retractable locking wedge to the hood, in particular in a trunk lid, in the manner explained above . In particular when using a pneumatic drive, the motor vehicle hood lock according to the invention can be so small and light that it can easily be accommodated not only in a trunk lid, but also not particularly stressed in terms of weight.

For further preferred refinements and developments of the teaching of the invention, reference is made to the claims subordinate to claim 1. In addition, there are many refinements and developments and advantages of the invention from the following explanation of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawing.

Fig. 1

in einer Ansicht von der offenen Rückseite her, schematisch, ein Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Kraftfahrzeug-Haubenschlosses mit einem in ausgefahrener Öffnungsstellung befindlichem Schließkeil,

Fig. 2

das Kraftfahrzeug-Haubenschloß aus Fig. 1 mit in eingefahrener Schließstellung befindlichem Schließkeil und

Fig. 3

in einer Ansicht eine Schaltkulisse am Gehäuse des Schließkeils.

In the drawing shows

Fig. 1

in a view from the open back, schematically, an embodiment of a motor vehicle hood lock according to the invention with a locking wedge in the extended open position,

Fig. 2

the motor vehicle hood lock from Fig. 1 with the locking wedge in the retracted closed position and

Fig. 3

in a view a shift gate on the housing of the striker.

The motor vehicle hood lock shown in FIG. 1 is intended in the exemplary embodiment shown for attachment to a trunk lid of a motor vehicle, but in principle it could also be attached, for example, to a rear door or elsewhere on a motor vehicle. You can see here only the locking wedge 2 attached to the trunk lid, not shown, in a housing 1, not shown is the part further belonging to such a motor vehicle hood lock with locking elements attached to a frame for the trunk lid, the catch and pawl. The latter is not important in the context of the teaching of the invention, so that it is not shown. Basically, the locking wedge 2 could also be assigned to the frame of the trunk lid, the catch and pawl with the associated locking mechanism would then be assigned to the trunk lid. In the first-mentioned assignment, however, the construction shown develops its special advantages for reasons of space and weight.

In Fig. 1 it is readily apparent, namely by the fine dashed transverse line on the striker 2, that the striker 2 relative to the housing 1 and thus the hood from an extended open position, shown in Fig. 1, in a retracted closed position, shown in Fig. 2 and indicated in Fig. 1 by the fine dashed line, is retractable by motor. For this purpose, the locking wedge 2 is coupled via a lever mechanism 3 with a motor drive, which is not shown here. The housing 1 has a guide 4 for the locking wedge 2 and the lever mechanism 3 has a force transmission element 5 which acts between the drive and the locking wedge 2. This power transmission element 5 is a swivel lever here, but it could also be a simple coupling rod, which will be discussed below.

It is essential for the teaching of the invention that the drive is designed as a one-way - closing direction - acting, in the opposite direction automatic resetable drive, in particular as a pneumatic drive with return spring or the like., That the power transmission element 5 in the closing direction with the Locking wedge 2 is coupled or can be coupled and can run freely in the opposite direction, so that a shift lever 6 carried by the force transmission element 5 in the closing direction and spring-loaded in the opposite direction is provided, that the shift lever 6 runs with an engaging part 7 in a shifting gate 8 and that the engaging part 7 by a Movement in the closing direction from an opening rest stop 9 can be brought into contact with a closing stop stop 10 and can be brought back to the opening rest stop 9 by a renewed movement in the closing direction from the closing stop stop 10. It is therefore essential that here a construction of the lever mechanism 3 has been found which is based on the structural requirements for a drive which acts actively only in one direction, namely in the closing direction. Such a drive will primarily be a pneumatic drive which offers the volume, construction and weight advantages explained above. The lever mechanism 3 takes over in a suitable manner adapted to the constructive requirements for a motor vehicle hood lock of the type in question, suggestions from a completely generic area, namely from ballpoint pens. By interaction of a shifting gate 8 with a corresponding functional part of the lever mechanism 3, namely the engagement part 7 of the shift lever 6, one and the same movement of the drive is implemented in different subsequent movements for the striker 2.

With regard to the structural details, there are of course various options for realizing the basic, previously explained teaching of the invention. It has already been pointed out beforehand that the construction of the force transmission element 5 shown in the figure as an independent pivoting lever is not absolutely necessary. Rather, a construction could also be realized in which the force transmission element is a simple push rod or the like, which runs in an elongated slot setting of the shift lever, the shift lever itself then - via this also the power transmission element - would be coupled or can be coupled to the striker.

There are now various design options.

First of all, the locking wedge 2 could be coupled or coupled directly to the force transmission element 5 or the shift lever 6, the locking wedge 2 could move in an arcuate guide 4 for this purpose, or the force transmission element 5 or the shift lever 6 could correspond to the linear movement of the locking wedge 2 Execute linear motion. In the illustrated and preferred embodiment, however, another solution is selected, namely that with a driver 11 which is spring-loaded in the opening direction and which is in turn coupled or can be coupled to the force transmission element 5. With the driver 11, an additional element of the lever mechanism 3 is introduced, which allows the primary linear movement of the locking wedge 2 to be converted into a different, in particular pivoting movement of the other parts of the lever mechanism 3.

So far, nothing has been said about how the locking wedge 2 or the driver 11 is held in the closed position. In principle, this could be done by the engaging part 7 of the shift lever 6 in connection with the shifting gate 8 and its closing stop stop 10. In the illustrated and preferred embodiment, however, the catch 11 is assigned a pawl 12 which is spring-loaded in the direction of incidence, the catch 12 engages in the closed position in a holding catch 13 arranged on the catch 11 and the catch 12 from the shift lever 6 when it moves again in the closing direction the holding catch 13 can be lifted out. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the pawl 12 engages the driver 11 or its retaining catch 13, it could also engage directly on the locking wedge 2 if a corresponding retaining catch were provided there. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment shown here, the pawl 12 has a release arm 14, by means of which the pawl 12 can be lifted out of the holding pawl 13 for the purpose of releasing the locking wedge 2 to return to the open position under spring force. In the illustrated embodiment If the trigger arm 14 is actuated by the force transmission element 5 and with the interposition of the shift lever 6, direct actuation would also be possible.

The illustrated and in this respect preferred embodiment of a lever mechanism 3 in a motor vehicle hood lock of the type in question is furthermore distinguished by the fact that the movements of the force transmission element 5, the shift lever 6 and possibly the driver 11 are arc movements and, in addition, the force transmission element 5, the shift lever 6 and possibly the driver 11 are designed as pivotable levers, preferably pivotable about one and the same pivot axis 15.

It has been pointed out several times before that the locking wedge 2 or the driver 11 for the locking wedge 2 can be coupled or coupled to the force transmission element 5 or to the shift lever 6. While the statement that the striker 2 is coupled to the corresponding element of the lever mechanism 3 is clear, the statement also allows the possibility that the striker 2 is not coupled. Fig. 1 shows this now for the illustrated embodiment with the locking wedge 2 in the open position. The decoupling of the locking wedge 2 from the force transmission element 5 here ensures that actuation of the drive, for example by key actuation on the driver's door, with the hood open to move the Power transmission element 5 and the shift lever 6 with the engagement part 7 and here also the driver 11 leads to the closed position, but that the striker 2 is not retracted in this case. The latter would be fatal if the hood were then slammed shut and it would snap open automatically. However, the closing wedge 2 then follows the path of the force transmission element 5 previously carried out under manual pressure and engages accordingly later.

The coupling capability explained above is realized in the exemplary embodiment shown in that a pawl connection 16 is provided between the force transmission element 5 and the locking wedge 2 or the driver 11, that the pawl connection 16 is not locked in the open position of the locking wedge 2 is and possibly the power transmission element executes an idle stroke in the closing direction and that a pre-closing position of the locking wedge 2 is provided between the open position and the closed position and the latch connection 16 is engaged in the pre-closing position. To the pawl connection 16, in addition to the pawl in the exemplary embodiment shown, there is a pin 17 located on the driver 11. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that in this position, open position of the closing wedge 2, when the power transmission element 5 is pivoted clockwise, the pawl of the pawl connection 16 on the pin 17 glides past, while when the closing wedge 2 has been moved a little in the closing direction by manually closing the hood, that is to say in the pre-closing position, the pawl of the pawl connection 16 grips the pin 17 as can be seen in FIG. 2. If the drive is now switched on by a switch on the frame or elsewhere, the striker 2 is carried along by the force transmission element 5 which is now firmly coupled to it. In principle, it would of course also be possible to combine the pawl connection 16 with the shift lever 6 in the configuration of the force transmission element explained above, for example as a simple push rod.

1 and 2 illustrate yet another special feature of the exemplary embodiment of a motor vehicle hood lock shown here. The fact is that it should normally be prevented that the closing wedge 2 can be brought purely manually from the open position into the full closed position. Rather, it should only be possible to reach the pre-closing position of the locking wedge 2 in an intended manner, but a further movement of the locking wedge 2 should then only and exclusively be possible by the drive. In order to achieve this, it is further provided here that the locking wedge 2 or the driver 11 in the pre-closing position, but when the drive is not (yet) actuated, is blocked by a locking lever 18 with respect to further movement in the closing direction and the locking lever 18 is only pivoted free when the drive is actuated becomes. This can be seen particularly well in FIG. 1. The locking lever 18 is spring-loaded in a manner known per se by a spring 19 in the swivel-out direction, but, as shown in FIG. 1, is initially moved in by the power transmission element 5 pivoted back by the drive swiveled in position. A slight advance ensures that the starting drive first moves the power transmission element 5 by a small amount in the clockwise direction so that the locking lever 18 is first released and pivots out of the movement path of the driver 11 under the force of the spring 19. The further swiveling movement then ends at the position shown in FIG. 2.

So far, the functionally necessary shift gate 8 has only been addressed in general terms and what has been said about this shift gate 8 in connection with the engaging part 7 of the shift lever 6 has been addressed. Role models for the design of such a shift gate 8 can be found in the state of the art in the actuation mechanism for ballpoint pens, which is far from the genre. However, it must be properly adjusted to the requirements for motor vehicle hood locks. This can be done in different ways and is done in the illustrated embodiment in that, as FIG. 3 shows particularly clearly, the shift gate 8 extends over several mutually parallel functional levels of the lever mechanism 3 and, preferably, that a trigger arm 14 of the pawl 12 with the Closing stop stop 10 lies in a functional level. The different functional levels of the shift gate 8 allow the engaging part 7 of the shift lever 6 to be brought into engagement with certain elements of the lever mechanism 3 when moving in one functional level, but with other elements in the same direction in the other functional level. If a trigger arm 14 is provided on the pawl 12 for the driver 11 or the locking wedge 2, it is expediently arranged in the functional level having the locking stop stop 10. When the engaging part 7 moves from the closing stop stop 10 back to the opening rest stop 9, the release arm 14 of the pawl 12 is then actuated, so that it is lifted out of the retaining catch 13.

In connection with the example of a shift gate 8 explained above, it is recommended that the shift gate 8 have corresponding guide inclined surfaces 20 for moving the engagement part 7 between the different functional levels.

There are various possibilities for the design of the shift lever 6 (which can also take over the functions of the force transmission element 5). First, for the exemplary embodiment shown, like FIG. 2, FIG. 1 shows that the shift lever 6 is articulated here off-center on the pivot axis 15. For this purpose, the shift lever 6 is provided with a link arm 21 which is pivotably mounted on the pivot axis 15. This has advantages in terms of movement technology, in particular for the engagement part 7 of the shift lever 6. The shift lever 6 could now be movable in relation to the pivot axis 15 in a manner to be explained. However, this would require a possibly more complicated design of the shifting link 8, taking into account any arcing movements that may occur, and a possibly difficult construction on the articulated arm 21. In the exemplary embodiment shown, it is therefore provided that the shift lever 6 is essentially of two parts, namely a rigid frame 22 which is carried by the force transmission element 5 and an inner element 23 which is movably mounted in the frame 22 relative to the frame 22 and has the engagement part 7. In particular, there are of course various options for the two-part design of the shift lever 6, in the exemplary embodiment shown and according to preferred teaching, however, the inner element 23 is mounted on an axis 24 arranged transversely in the frame 22 and can be pivoted about this axis 24, so that the Engagement part 7 can reach the different functional levels of the shift gate 8 and, preferably, can also be displaced longitudinally against the axis 24 by means of an elongated hole connection or the like, so that the engagement part 7 can slide out of the shift gate 8 on guide inclined surfaces 20. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a helical spring 25, which is only indicated here, is arranged on the axis 24 and pushes the inner element 23 into a predetermined desired position in the frame 22, which can be pivoted against the engagement part 7 on the inner element 23 by the guide inclined surfaces 20 in the switching link 8. In addition, the longitudinal displaceability of the inner element 23 relative to the frame 22, again against spring force, is also realized here. This has the advantage that the shifting gate 8 for the return movement of the engaging part 7 from the closing stop stop 10 to the opening rest stop 9 by forming corresponding guide inclined surfaces 20 no further Channel must contain, but that the engaging part 7 for this way with the longitudinal displacement of the inner element 23 in Fig. 2 downward to a certain extent "under" the shift gate 8.

In the figures it can be indicated by appropriate puncturing that in the illustrated embodiment the frame 22 of the shift lever 6 is made of a hard plastic, which is of particular advantage in terms of movement and noise.

Claims (10)

1. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock or door lock with a key collar (2) mounted on the compartment cover, particularly on a boot lid or in a housing (1) on a framework, and with locking elements such as a rotary latch and a pawl mounted on a framework for the compartment cover or on a compartment cover or a boot lid, wherein the key collar (2) can be retracted by means of a motor in relation to the housing (1) and thus in relation to the compartment cover from a pulled-out open position to a retracted locked position and for this purpose is coupled via a lever mechanism (3) to a motorised drive, and wherein the housing (1) comprises a guide (4) for the key collar (2) and the lever mechanism (3) has a power transmission element (5) which operates between the drive and the key collar (2), characterised in that the drive is constructed as a drive which operates in only one direction - the locking direction, particularly as a pneumatic drive with a pull-back spring or the like, and can be automatically pulled back in the opposite direction, that the power transmission element (5) is coupled or can be coupled in a driving manner to the key collar (2) in the locking direction and is in neutral in the opposite direction, that a shift lever (6) is provided which is driven by the power transmission element (5) in the locking direction and is spring-loaded in the opposite direction, that the shift lever (6) operates with an engagement part (7) in a shift gate (8) and that the engagement part (7) can be brought into contact with a locking retainer stop (10) by a movement in the locking direction from an open-position rest stop (9) and can be brought back to the open-position rest stop (9) again by a movement once more from the locking retainer stop (10) in the locking direction.
2. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to claim 1, characterised in that the power transmission element (5) is a connecting rod or the like, which operates in a slotted connecting element of the shift lever (6) and that the shift lever (6), and via the latter the power transmission element (5) also, is coupled or can be coupled to the key collar (2).
3. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the key collar (2) is coupled or can be coupled to a carrier (11) which is spring-loaded in the opening direction and the carrier (11) is coupled or can be coupled to the power transmission element (5).
4. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to claim 3, characterised in that a pawl (12), which is spring-loaded in the engagement direction, is associated with the carrier (11), the pawl (12) engages in a retaining catch (13) disposed on the carrier (11) in the locked position and the pawl (12) can be raised out of the retaining catch (13) by the shift lever (6) on a movement once again in the locking direction.
5. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the movements of the power transmission element (5), of the shift lever (6) and optionally of the carrier (11) are arcuate movements, and for this purpose the power transmission element (5), the shift lever (6) and optionally the carrier (11) are constructed as swivelling levers which can preferably swivel about one and the same swivel pin (15).
6. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that a latch attachment (16) is provided between the power transmission element (5) and the key collar (2) or the carrier (11), that the latch attachment (16) is not engaged in the open position of the key collar (2) and that optionally the power transmission element (5) executes an idle stroke in the locking direction, and that a pre-locking position of the key collar (2) is provided between the open position and the locked position, and the latch attachment (16) is engaged in the pre-locking position.
7. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that in the open position or in the pre-locking position the key collar (2) or the carrier (11) is locked with respect to a further movement in the locking direction by a locking lever (18), when the drive is not (yet) actuated, however, and the locking lever (18) is only swivelled free when the drive is actuated.
8. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the shift gate (8) extends over a plurality of mutually parallel functional planes of the lever mechanism (3), and that a triggering arm (14) of the pawl (12) is preferably situated with the locking retainer stop (10) in one functional plane, and that the shift gate (8) has corresponding slanting guide surfaces (20), preferably between the different functional planes, for moving the engagement part (7).
9. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the shift lever (6) is essentially constructed in two pieces, namely from a rigid frame (22) driven by the power transmission element (5) and an internal element (23) which is movably mounted in relation to the frame (22) in the frame (22) and which comprises the engagement part (7).
10. A motor vehicle compartment cover lock according to claim 9, characterised in that the internal element (23) is mounted on a pin (24) disposed transversely in the frame (22) and can swivel about this pin (24), so that the engagement part (7) can reach the different functional planes of the shift gate (8) and can preferably also still be displaced longitudinally towards the pin (24) by means of a slot connection or the like, so that the engagement part (7) can slide out from the shift gate (8), optionally on slanting guide surfaces (20).

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