EP1039079B1 - Lock for a motor vehicle wing - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to a lock and more particularly a lock for a vehicle leaf automobile.

In a manner known per se, a lock for opening motor vehicle has a plate by which it is applied against the edge of the opening and fixed to it and a housing containing the entire lock mechanism.

The lock contains a rotary bolt intended to cooperate with a keeper mounted on the fixed frame of the opening. To this end, the latch has a notch in which the keeper engages during the closing the opening of the vehicle. The lock also contains a rotary ratchet for retaining the bolt in the closed position for which he retains the keeper. Usually, the axes of rotation of the bolt and ratchet are set on the plate.

Such an arrangement makes the lock quite fragile in the event of shocks, this is why it was proposed in the French application published under No. 2,760,778 to improve such a lock by forming in the plate of the collars constituting the axes of rotation of said bolt and ratchet and into which are screwed screws ensuring the fixing of said plate to the movable leaf of the vehicle leaf.

It was however noted that the bolt and the pawl of such lock can have a translational movement along the collar which serves as an axis of rotation which deteriorates the holding in position of closing the lock when it is tested dynamic with multi-directional stresses because the bolt and ratchet may not stay in the same plane.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a lock with improved retention capacity.

To this end, the invention relates to a lock for opening motor vehicle, said opening comprising a movable leaf and a fixed element integral with the vehicle body, said lock comprising a rotary bolt, in the form of a fork, said fork being intended to receive a keeper which projects from the fixed element of the opening, the bolt being retained in the closed position by a pawl pivoting, the bolt and the pawl being enclosed inside a module, which externally has a plate applied and fixed on the edge of the movable leaf by screws, the axes of the bolt and the pawl being substantially perpendicular to the edge of the movable leaf, the lock comprising, in addition, an envelope containing all of its mechanism and cooperating with said module to ensure control of the pawl, the bolt and the pawl being each centered on a collar externally smooth of the plate, said collars each being traversed by one of the module's fixing screws on the edge of the movable leaf, characterized in that, on the side of the mean plane of the bolt and ratchet where the module plate is not located, a cross member which comprises at least two internally threaded collars, the center distance of the cross collars being equal to the center distance of the cross collars plate so that the screwing of the fixing screws in the collars of crosspiece causes the application of the plate against the edge of the leaf mobile, the cross member then forming an obstacle opposing a shift from the mean plane of the bolt relative to the mean plane of the ratchet.

According to one embodiment, the bolt of the lock is retained in the closed position by a pivoting pawl, itself held by a second pivoting pawl, oriented substantially perpendicular to the edge on a third externally smooth collar of the plate and that the crosspiece has a third collar arranged so that the between the axes between the collars of the crosspiece are equal to those of the plate, the cross member then forming an obstacle opposing a shift medium shots of latch, ratchet and second ratchet each compared to others. Advantageously, the third collar of the crosspiece is internally threaded to allow application of the plate against edge using two screws screwed into two of the three cross collars or by means of three screws screwed in the three cross collars.

In the lock according to the invention, the bolt and the pawl (s) may each have a cylindrical through opening by each of which is positioned on the surface of a platinum collar; of preferably, the collars of the plate are smooth internally and the cross collars are smooth on the outside.

Advantageously, the collars of the cross have a cylindrical outer surface of the same diameter as the outer surface platinum collars, each of said cross collars bearing against the platinum collar associated with it so that their surfaces cylindrical outer cylindrical guiding surfaces continuous cooperating with the through opening of the bolt or ratchet (s) respectively.

Preferably, each of the collars of the crosspiece comprises, at its end furthest from the plate, a flange for to oppose, in the vicinity of their rotational guide range, a displacement of the pawl (s) or the bolt respectively.

The plate of the lock module according to the invention can include fixing means for holding a cover protection to cover the bolt, the pawl (s) and the cross member, the module thus constituting a small box delimited externally by the cover and the plate. Said fixing means may be snap-fastening elements provided on lugs of the platinum, said legs being in planes substantially parallel to axes of rotation of the bolt and the ratchet (s).

Advantageously, the cross member comprises, at the level of each of its flanges, a bore, which is coaxial with the surface internal thread of the corresponding cross bar but which is diameter greater than that of said interior surface, this bore receiving the end of a cylindrical boss secured to the cover. Each hood boss may have a tubular shape, the end of the fixing screw, which cooperates with the threaded inner surface of the collar corresponding cross member that can be housed inside the lower part of the boss.

According to the invention, the cross-member can comprise between its two one or more link arms having substantially the same thickness than said flanges. Advantageously, the arm (s) of cross-member connection includes (s) a stiffening rib for that the cross member cooperates in maintaining (s) the inter-axis (s) between the axes of rotation of the bolt and of the ratchet (s).

The invention will be better understood thanks to the description, which will follow, of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment made with reference in the attached drawing.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique, en perspective éclatée, d'un module de serrure d'ouvrant de véhicule automobile selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus, capot enlevé, du module de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne III-III de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe partielle à plus grande échelle prise au niveau du collet portant le cliquet ; et
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique, en perspective, d'une traverse selon un autre mode de réalisation.

On this drawing :

• FIG. 1 is a schematic view, in exploded perspective, of a lock module for an opening leaf of a motor vehicle according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a top view, cover removed, of the module of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a sectional view along line III-III of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a partial sectional view on a larger scale taken at the collar carrying the pawl; and
• Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a cross member according to another embodiment.

The lock according to the invention is intended for an opening of motor vehicle not shown in the drawing, said opening comprising, in a manner known per se, a movable leaf and an element fixed integral with the vehicle body.

A keeper, also not shown in the drawing, is attached projecting from the fixed element of the opening and is intended to be inserted through the opening 21 of the lock in the notch 50 of a bolt rotary 5 in the form of a fork arranged in the lock.

Said bolt 5 is retained in the closed position by a pawl 4 pivoting carrying a spout 45. In the lock according to the invention, the bolt 5 and the ratchet 4 are enclosed in a module and a mechanism not shown in the drawing is arranged to cooperate with said bolt and ratchet. As seen in Figure 1, the module enclosing the bolt 5 and the pawl 4 comprises a plate 2 and a cover 3 capable to be fixed on said plate 2.

Plate 2 is intended to be applied and fixed on the edge 1 of the movable leaf of the leaf by screws 10, the axes of the bolt 5 and of the pawl 4 being arranged perpendicular to said edge 1. It is shaped so as to have a drain 21 and two collars 24, 25 tubular, with smooth external surface, arranged on either side of said outlet 21 and intended to form the axes of said bolt 5 and pawl 4. During mounting the lock module on edge 1 of the leaf of an opening leaf of a vehicle, for example a door or a trunk, two of the screws 10 of fixing are inserted into said collars 24, 25 of the plate 2. Des stiffening ribs 22 are formed in the plate 2 so that it provide the necessary solidity despite the presence of the opening forming the outlet 21.

The pawl 4 and the bolt 5 of the lock have a cylindrical through opening 42, 52 through which they are respectively positioned on the tubular external surface, smooth, collars 24, 25 which then constitute their axis of rotation arranged perpendicular to edge 1 of the movable leaf.

According to the invention, a cross 6 is arranged on the side of the plane by means of the bolt 5 and the pawl 4 where the plate 2 of the lock module, said cross member 6 consisting of an arm 60 bearing two cylindrical collars 64, 65 threaded. The center line of collars 64, 65 of the cross-member 6 is equal to the center distance of the collars 24, 25 of the plate 2 so that the fixing screws 10 penetrate into the collars 64, 65 and cooperate with their tapping to ensure the application of the plate 2 against the edge 1 of the movable leaf.

The collars 64, 65 of the crosspiece 6 have a surface external cylindrical of the same diameter as the external surface of the collars 24, 25 of the plate 2 so that each of said collars 64, 65 of cross 6 comes to bear against the collars 24, 25 of the plate and forms with said collars 24, 25 a continuous guide surface cooperating with the through openings 42, 52 of the pawl 4 and of the bolt 5.

Each collar 64, 65 of the cross-member 6 is surrounded, at its end furthest from the plate 2, by a collar 64 a , 65 a . When the lock module is fixed on the edge 1 of the movable leaf, the screwing of the fixing screws 10 in the threaded collars 64, 65 of the cross-member 6 brings the flanges 64 a , 65 a to bear against the face of the pawl 4 and of the bolt 5 opposite the plate 2. Said flanges 64 a , 65 a thus form obstacles whose position is perfectly fixed relative to the edge 1 of the movable leaf ensuring the maintenance in position of the pawl 4 and of the bolt 5. The pawl 4 and the bolt 5 are thus maintained in the position ensuring normal operation of the lock for which they are coplanar, and no offset between the mean plane of the pawl 4 and the mean plane of the bolt 5 resulting in a misalignment harmful to the operation of said lock cannot happen.

As shown in the drawing, the arm 60 of the cross-member 6 has a thickness substantially equal to that of the flanges 64 a, 65 a and has a rib 6 a stiffening part in improving the strength of the lock module according to the invention by cooperating in maintaining the center distance between the axes of rotation of the bolt 5 and of the pawl 4.

The plate 2 carries fixing means 23 intended to maintain the protective cover 3. When they are secured to each other, the plate 2 and the protective cover 3 form a lock module enclosing the pawl 4, the bolt 5 and the cross-member 6 with which a control mechanism not shown on the drawing. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing, the cover fixing means 3 are constituted by locking elements 23 carried by the legs 23 a of said plate disposed parallel to the axes of the collars 24, 25 forming the axes of rotation pawl 4 and latch 5.

The protective cover 3 carries on the one hand attachment means, not shown in the drawing, intended to cooperate with the snap-fastening elements 23 of the plate, and, on the other hand, cylindrical bosses 34, 35 intended for penetrate into bores 66 formed in the flanges 64 a, 65 a of the cross member. These bores 66 are arranged coaxially to the internal threaded surface of each of the collars 64, 65 of the cross-member 6 and have an internal diameter greater than that of the internal threaded surface of said collars 64, 65. The bosses 34, 35 of the cover are tubular so as to allow the end of the fixing screws 10 of the module on the edge 1 of the leaf of the opening can be housed in said bosses.

In another embodiment, the lock comprises a bolt retained in the closed position by a pivoting pawl, itself retained by another pivoting pawl, called the second pawl. The bolt and the two pawls are enclosed in a module, similar to that described above, comprising a plate and a cover capable of being fixed on said plate. The plate comprises three tubular collars, with smooth external surfaces, intended to form the axes of said bolts and pawls. In this embodiment, the crosspiece according to the invention comprises three cylindrical collars, the centers of the crossbars of the crossbars being equal to the centers of the collars of the plate. Figure 5 shows, schematically, an example of cross 7 corresponding to this embodiment of the lock. The cross member 7 comprises three cylindrical collars 73, 74, 75 interconnected by two connecting arms 70 a , 70 b . The three collars of the crosspiece 7 are similar to those 64, 65 described above in the case of a lock with a single pawl, and cooperate with the collars of the plate to form continuous guide surfaces. By way of example, the cross-member 7 comprises two collars 74, 75, said to be external, intended to come into abutment against the complementary collars of the plate to form the axes of rotation of the pawl and of the bolt and a third collar 73, called central , intended to bear against the central collar of the plate to form the axis of rotation of the second pawl. The three collars of the crosspiece 7 are tapped so that the plate can be applied against the edge of the movable leaf by means of two or three screws cooperating with the tappings of two or three of said collars. Each collar 73, 74, 75 is surrounded by a collar 73 a , 73 b , 73 c intended to come into abutment against the surface of one of the pawls or of the bolt, opposite to the plate, in order to guarantee correct positioning of the pawls and the bolt relative to each other. Each connecting arm 70 a, 70 b may also include a stiffening rib 7 a, 7 b. The collars may include bores (77) in which can be housed bosses of the protective cover of the module. This embodiment makes it possible to propose a lock with two or three fixing points.

Claims (13)

1. Lock for a motor vehicle opening, the said opening comprising a moving door and a fixed element integral with the vehicle bodywork, the said lock comprising a rotary bolt (5), in the form of a fork, the said fork being intended to receive a keeper which projects on the fixed element of the opening, the bolt (5) being held in the closed position by a pivoting catch (4), the bolt (5) and the catch (4) being enclosed within a module, which comprises externally a plate (2) applied and fixed to the edge (1) of the moving door by screws (10), the axes of the bolt (5) and catch (4) being substantially perpendicular to the edge (1) of the moving door, the lock also comprising an enclosure enclosing all its mechanism and cooperating with the said module in order to provide control of the catch, the bolt (5) and catch (4) each being aligned on an externally smooth collar (25, 24) on the plate (2), the said collars (25, 24) each having pass through them one of the screws (10) for fixing the module to the edge (1) of the moving door, characterised by the fact that, on the side of the mid-plane of the bolt (5) and catch (4) where the module plate (2) is not situated, there is disposed a cross-member (6, 7) which comprises at least two internally threaded collars (65, 64) (74, 75), the distance between axes of the collars (64, 64) (74, 75) of the cross-member (6, 7) being equal to the distance between axes of the collars (25, 24) on the plate (2) so that the screwing of the fixing screws (10) into the collars (65, 64) of the cross-member (6) causes the plate (2) to be applied against the edge (1) of the moving door, the cross-member (6) then forming an obstacle opposing an offset of the mid-plane of the bolt (5) with respect to the mid-plane of the catch (4).
2. Lock according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the lock bolt is held in the closed position by a pivoting catch, itself held by a second pivoting catch, aligned substantially perpendicular to the edge on an externally smooth third collar (73) on the plate and by the fact that the cross-member (7) comprises a third collar (73) disposed so that the distances between axes between the collars (73, 74, 75) on the cross-member (6) are equal to those of the plate, the cross-member then forming an obstacle opposing an offset of the mid-planes of the bolt, catch and second catch with respect to each other.
3. Lock according to Claim 2, characterised by the fact that the third collar (73) on the cross-member (7) is threaded internally to permit the application of the plate against the edge by means of two screws screwed into two of the three collars (73, 74, 75) on the cross-member (7) or by means of three screws screwed into the three collars on the cross-member.
4. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised by the fact that the bolt (5) and catch or catches (4) each comprise(s) a cylindrical through opening (52, 42) by means of which each is positioned on the surface of a plate collar (25, 24).
5. Lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that the collars (25, 24) on the plate (2) are internally smooth and the collars (65, 64) (73, 74, 75) on the cross-member (6) are smooth externally.
6. Lock according to Claim 5, characterised by the fact that the collars (65, 64) (73, 74, 75) on the cross-member (6, 7) have a cylindrical external surface with the same diameter as the external surface of the collars (25, 24) on the plate (2), each of the said cross-member collars coming into abutment against the plate which is associated with it, so that their external cylindrical surfaces constitute a continuous cylindrical guidance area cooperating with the through opening (52, 42) of the bolt (5) or the catch or catches (4) respectively.
7. Lock according to Claim 4, characterised by the fact that each of the collars (65, 64) (73, 74, 75) on the cross-member (6, 7) comprises, at its end furthest away from the plate (2), a boss (65a, 64a) (73a, 74a, 75a) for opposing, close to their area for guidance in rotation, a movement of the bolt (5) or catch or catches (4) respectively.
8. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised by the fact that the plate (2) of the module of the lock according to the invention comprises fixing means for holding a protective cap (3) for covering the bolt (5), the catch or catches (4) and the cross-member (6, 7), the module thus constituting a small box delimited externally by the cap (3) and plate (2).
9. Lock according to Claim 8, characterised by the fact that the said fixing means are snapping-on elements (23) provided on lugs (23a) of the plate (2), said lugs being in planes substantially parallel to the rotation axes of the bolt (5) and catch or catches (4).
10. Lock according to one of Claims 8 or 9, characterised by the fact that, at each of its bosses (64a, 65a) (73a, 74a, 75a), the cross-member (6, 7) comprises a bore (66, 77) which is coaxial with the threaded internal surface of the corresponding cross-member collar (64, 65) (73, 74, 75) but which has a diameter greater than that of the said internal surface, this bore (66, 77) receiving the end of a cylindrical protrusion (34, 35) integral with the cap (3).
11. Lock according to Claim 10, characterised by the fact that each protrusion (34, 35) on the cap (3) has a tubular shape, the end of the fixing screw (10) which cooperates with the threaded internal surface of the corresponding cross-member collar (64, 65) (73, 74, 75) being able to be housed inside the bottom part of the protrusion (34, 35).
12. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterised by the fact that the cross-member (6) comprises, between its bosses (64a, 65a) (73a, 74a, 75a) a connecting arm or arms (60) (70a, 70b) having substantially the same thickness as the said bosses.
13. Lock according to Claim 12, characterised by the fact that the connecting arm or arms (60) (70a, 70b) of the cross-member (6, 7) comprise a stiffening rib (6a) so that the cross-member (6, 7) cooperates in maintaining distances between the rotation axes of the bolt (5) and catch or catches (4).

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