EP1103681A1 - Vehicle door with a locking device with electric locking and unlocking suitable to open with delay - Google Patents

Abstract

The openable panel (1) has an electric lock (3) with a lock opening lever (8) with a manually operated member (5) that is mounted at a distance from the lock and can be operated manually by a user from the outside. A force transmission element (7) has two parts (7a,7b) connected to each other by an energy storage spring (11), and an immobilizing pin (12) immobilizes the second part (7b) when the lock is in the locked condition and releases the second part in response to an unlocking command. The force transmission element connects the manually operated member to the lock opening lever, which can move from a closed condition preventing the panel from being opened to an open condition in which the panel can be opened in response to the operation of the lever with the aid of the manually operated member.

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle opening automobile, of the type comprising a lock with lock / electric unlocking, which includes an opening lever, an organ operating which is mounted on the opening at a distance from said lock and which can be operated manually by a user from outside the opening, and a force transmission element which connects the operation of the lock opening lever, which lock can go from a closed state preventing the opening of the door to a state open allowing the opening of the opening in response to an actuation of the opening lever using the operating member.

In today's motor vehicles, it is sometimes impossible to unlock the lock of a door, for example a door or tailgate, the operating member of which, for example a pallet or a swivel lever incorporated in the door handle or in the tailgate, was operated by a driver or a passenger trying to open the vehicle door or tailgate from the outside of said vehicle. Such a situation can for example occur with a vehicle fitted with a central locking control / unlocking the locks on the doors and the tailgate or the luggage compartment of the motor vehicle, when a passenger operates the operating member incorporated in the handle of a door or the operating device controlling the opening of the tailgate or the boot baggage, just before the driver ordered the unlocking the locks using a key or remote control.

The situation mentioned above can also occur with vehicles equipped with an access system of the so-called "hands" type "with which a remote data exchange is established by a wireless communication, between a recognition device installed at on board the vehicle and an identification device worn by a user, access to the vehicle is only authorized when the recognition has authenticated the identification body. Although this data exchange, authentication of the identification body, issuance of the lock unlock command and operation unlocking itself, i.e. moving an organ locking / unlocking each lock from its position locking in its unlocking position by means of an actuator electromechanical (electric motor or electromagnet) in response to the unlocking command, require very little time (usually less than a second), however, it can happen that if the user very quickly actuates the operating member incorporated in the handle of a door, said operating member ends its stroke actuation of the lock opening lever before the electromechanical actuator has passed the locking member / unlocking the lock in its unlocked position or just when said locking / unlocking member arrives in its unlocking position. In this case, the lock cannot be put in its open state and the door, or other opening of the vehicle, does not cannot be opened. The user must then release the maneuver, then he has to activate it again to be able to obtain the opening of the door or other opening of the vehicle. This need for a double action on the actuator is, well obviously experienced as discomfort, especially if the user is an emergency.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a solution to avoid the user having to exert a double action on the operating member incorporated in a door handle or in a other opening, such as a tailgate of a vehicle automobile in order to open said door or other opening.

To this end, the invention provides an opening of the type defined in preamble, characterized in that the transmission element of force is in two parts linked together by an accumulator of energy, a first of the two parts being connected to the organ of operation, the second part being connected to the opening lever of the lock, and by the fact that a locking means is provided which blocks the second part of the force transmission element when the lock is in a locked state, and which releases said second portion of the force transmitting element in response to a command to unlocking.

With such an arrangement, if the user actuates the maneuver with such rapidity that the locking means releases the second part of the force transmitting element in response to the unlocking command only when the locking device maneuver completes or has almost completed its actuation stroke, the second part of the force transmission element remains blocked by the locking means during all or almost the entire race actuation of the operating member. Meanwhile, the energy accumulator stores energy under the action of the operating member and the first part of the element force transmission. Then, as soon as the locking means releases the second part of the force transmitting element in response to the release command, around the time the maneuver completes its actuation stroke, the energy stored in the accumulator is released and used to operate the lever opening the lock, thereby passing it from its state closed in its open state. The user can then open the opening of the vehicle without having to actuate the device again maneuver.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the second part of the force transmission element carries a stop, and the locking means is constituted by a pallet which is mounted swivels between an active position, in which it extends substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the force transmission element and cooperates with said stopper to block the second part of the force transmission element, and a cleared position in which said pallet releases the stop so that the second part of the force transmission element can activate the lock opening lever.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, the second part of the force transmission element consists by a rod having a groove, and the blocking means is constituted by a finger or a fork, which is mounted movable in translation in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the element force transmission, between an active position in which the finger or the fork is engaged in said groove to block the second part of the force transmission element, and a position erased in which the finger or the fork came out of said throat and releases the second part of the force transmission element to that it can operate the lock opening lever.

The lock of the opening according to the invention can also include, in a manner known per se, a locking member / unlocking which inhibits or authorizes the passage of the sound lock closed state to its open state depending on whether it is in a position of locked or in an unlocked position, and which can be moved from its locked position to its unlocked position in response to said unlock command.

In the event that such a locking / unlocking member is provided, the locking means, that is to say the pallet, the finger or the fork, can be connected by another force transmission element to the locking / unlocking member. So when the latter is moved from its locked position to its unlocked position in response to the unlock command, he drags with him, by through said other force transmission element, the means to move it from its active position to its position cleared in response to said unlock command.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, said means blocking, that is to say the pallet, the finger or the fork, is connected to a electromechanical actuator which passes said locking means of its active position to its erased position in response to said command to unlocking. In this case, the blocking means may constitute itself a locking / unlocking member which inhibits or authorizes the passage of the lock from its closed state to its open state depending on whether it is in its active position or in its erased position, in plus the locking / unlocking device possibly included in the lock or as a substitute.

In the case where the blocking means is constituted by a finger or a fork, in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, the finger or the fork can carry a nipple which is engaged in an oblong light of an elongated rectangular plate, which is pivotally mounted between a first position in which it acts, by a first longitudinal edge of its lumen, on the nipple of the finger or fork to keep it in its active position, and a second position in which said plate acts, by a second edge longitudinal of its light, on the nipple of the finger or the fork for keep it in its erased position.

Under these conditions, said plate can be connected by a other element for transmitting force to the locking member / unlocking which moves the plate from its first position to its second position when it is itself moved from its position of locked in its unlocked position in response to the command unlocking.

As a variant, said plate can be connected to an actuator electromechanical which moves this plate from its first position at its second position in response to said unlock command.

• la figure 1 représente de manière très schématique et de manière partielle un ouvrant de véhicule automobile selon l'invention ;
• les figures 2, 3 et 4 montrent, de manière schématique, des variantes de réalisation d'une partie du mécanisme de blocage associé à l'élément de transmission de force qui sert à actionner le levier d'ouverture de la serrure de l'ouvrant représenté dans la figure 1.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear better during the following description of various embodiments of the invention given by way of examples with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 shows very schematically and partially a motor vehicle opening according to the invention;
• Figures 2, 3 and 4 show, schematically, alternative embodiments of part of the locking mechanism associated with the force transmission element which is used to actuate the opening lever of the lock of the opening shown in figure 1.

Referring first to Figure 1, we can see a opening 1, for example a door of a motor vehicle, which has only shown part of the outer sheet 2 and which has a lock 3 of the electric locking / unlocking type, and a outer door handle 4, which is provided with an operating member 5, for example a pallet which is rotatably mounted on an axis 6 and which is connected by a force transmission element 7, for example a Bowden cable, to an opening lever 8 of the lock 3.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, if the lock is not in a condemned state and if a user located outside of the vehicle acts on the pallet 5 to rotate it around the axis 6 in the direction of arrow F1 to open door 1, pallet 5 operates, via its internal lever arm Sa and the force transmission element 7, the opening lever 8 of the lock 3. More precisely, when the opening lever 8 is actuated in response to the operation of the pallet 5 by the user, it passes a pawl (not shown) contained in lock 3 from a first position or blocking position in which this pawl keeps the bolt (not shown) of the lock in the closed position, to a position erased in which the pawl releases the bolt from the lock, which releases itself a keeper (not shown) secured to a fixed part of the vehicle body, to allow door 1 to open.

The lock 3 also comprises, in a known manner, a locking / unlocking mechanism, also called locking mechanism conviction / unlocking, including a locking device / unlocking 9, for example a lever, which can be moved to the by means of an electromechanical actuator (not shown), for example a electric motor or an electromagnet, from a position locking or condemnation, in which it inhibits the passage of the lock from its closed state to its open state, at a position of unlocking or unlocking, in which it authorizes this passage from the lock from its closed state to its open state, in response to a unlocking command. This unlock command can be for example an electrical signal which can be emitted by a unit centralized conviction / unlocking in response to actuation, by means of a key, of the door lock on the side driver of the vehicle, or in response to a signal from a box remote control, for example an activated infrared remote control by a user by pressing a button on the box remote control, or if the vehicle is equipped with a system so-called hands-free access, in response to a signal from command issued by an electronic recognition device having authenticated an identification device worn by an authorized user of the vehicle. When the unlock command is issued, it can for example cause momentary excitation of the actuator electromechanical above, which passes the organ of locking / unlocking in its unlocked position. The locking / unlocking or locking systems / unlocking are well known and, for this reason, the system of locking / unlocking fitted to lock 3 will therefore not described in detail since, in addition, it is not part of the invention and the details of its construction are not necessary for understanding the invention.

As indicated in the preamble to this specification, it may happen that the locking / unlocking member, that is to say the lever 9, passes into its unlocking or unlocking position only when the pallet 5 has completed or almost completed its actuation stroke, and that the opening of the lock 3 cannot be obtained. This drawback can be avoided thanks to the present invention by producing the force transmission element 7 in two parts 7 a and 7 b connected together by an energy accumulator 11, and by providing a blocking means 12 which blocks the part 7 b of the force transmission element when the lock is in a locked or locked state, that is to say when the lever 9 is in its locked or locked position, and which releases said part 7 b from the force transmission element 7 in response to the unlocking command, that is to say when the lever 9 passes into its unlocking or unlocking position.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the portion 7a of the force transmission element 7 can be constituted by a first Bowden cable segment whose one end is connected to the inner lever arm 5 has the pallet 5 and the other end of which is connected to a first end of a helical spring constituting the energy accumulator 11. The second end of the helical spring 11 is connected to one of the ends of a second segment of Bowden cable, which constitutes part 7b of the force transmission element 7 and the other end of which is connected to the opening lever 8 of the lock 3.

A stop 13 is fixed to the end of the second Bowden cable segment 7 b which is connected to the spring 11. In the locked state of the lock 3, this stop 13 is supported on a removable or eclipsable counter-stop 14, which constitutes the blocking means 12.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the counter-stop 14 is constituted by a pallet which is rotatably mounted in the middle on an axis of rotation 15. The stop 13 bears on one of the two branches of the pallet 14, the other branch of which is connected to the lever locking / unlocking 9 by another transmission element force 16, for example a rod or a Bowden cable.

If the lock 3 is in a locked state as shown in FIG. 1 and if a user actuates the pallet 5 of the door handle 4 too quickly, that is to say with a speed such that the lever 9 is not not yet in its unlocking or unlocking position, the pallet 14 retains the stop 13 and the second Bowden cable segment 7b . As a result, the spring 11 is compressed by the action of the pallet 5 and the first Bowden cable segment 7 a . As soon as the lever 9 passes, with a certain delay, in its unlocking or unlocking position in response to the unlocking command, the force transmission element 16 is moved in the direction of the arrow F2, which makes it pivot in the direction of the arrow F3 the pallet 14 which disappears and thus releases the stop 13. The mechanical energy stored in the spring 11 is then released and used to actuate, by means of the second segment of Bowden cable 7b , the opening lever 8 of the lock 3. The latter therefore passes into its open state allowing the opening of the door 1 when the user continues to exert traction on the pallet 5 of the door handle 4.

In the embodiment which has been described above with reference to FIG. 1, it has been assumed that the two parts 7 a and 7 b of the force transmitting element 7 are constituted by segments of Bowden cable. However, at least one of the two parts 7 a and 7 b of the force transmission element 7 can be constituted by a rod.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 show three variants in which the second part 7b of the force transmission element 7 is constituted by a rod. In this case, the rod 7 b can have a circular groove 17 and the locking means 12 can be constituted by a finger 18 (or by a fork with two branches) which, in the locked state of the lock, is engaged in the groove 17 to block the rod 7 b . The finger 18 (or the fork) is guided in a suitable bearing 19 so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement F4 of the rod 7 b in response to the operation of the pallet 5 of the door handle 4 or, with a certain delay, under the action of spring 11.

In the variant shown in Figure 2, the locking pin 18 (or the locking fork) is connected by a force transmission element 16, for example a Bowden cable (but it could also be a rod control), to the locking / unlocking member of the lock, for example the lever 9 of FIG. 1. In this case, the force transmission element 16 is arranged to pull the finger 18, in the direction of arrow F5, when the locking / unlocking member is moved to its unlocking position in response to the unlocking command, in order to release the rod 7 b and thus allow the actuation of the opening lever 8 of the lock, with or without the assistance of an energy accumulated in the spring 11, in response to an operation of the pallet 5 of the door handle 4.

In the variant shown in Figure 3, the finger blocking 18 (or the blocking fork) is connected to an actuator electromechanical 21, for example an electromagnet, which moves the finger 18 in the direction of arrow F5 when excited in response to the unlocking command.

In the variant shown in Figure 4, the finger blocking 18 (or the blocking fork) carries a pin 22 which is engaged in an oblong slot 23 of an elongated rectangular plate 24. This plate 24 is pivotally mounted about an axis of swivel 25 and it is connected by the force transmission element 16 to the locking / unlocking member, for example the lever 9 of the lock 3 of FIG. 1.

In this case, when the lock 3 is in a locked state, one of the two longitudinal edges of the slot 23 of the plate 24 acts on the locking finger 18 in order to keep it engaged in the groove 17 of the rod 7 b , thus preventing any longitudinal movement of the latter.

On the other hand, when the lever 9 is moved to its unlocking position in response to the unlocking command, the force transmission element 16 moves in the direction of the arrow F2 which acts on the plate 24 for the rotate in the direction of arrow F6. Under these conditions, the other longitudinal edge of the lumen 23 of the plate 24 acts on the stud 22 to move the locking finger 18 in the direction of the arrow F5, so that this finger disappears and releases the rod 7 b so that the latter can actuate the opening lever 8 of the lock 3, with or without the assistance of an energy accumulated in the energy accumulator spring 11, in response to an operation of the pallet 5 of the door handle 4.

It goes without saying that the embodiments of the invention which have been described above have been given as examples purely indicative and in no way limitative, and that numerous modifications can be easily made by those skilled in the art without necessarily depart from the scope of the invention. This is how the palette pivoting 14 of FIG. 1 or the pivoting plate 24 of FIG. 4, instead of being connected to a force transmission element like the cable or rod 16, could be connected to an actuator electromechanical, for example an electromagnet, which can be excited in response to the unlock command.

Claims (9)

Opening of a motor vehicle, comprising a lock (3) with electrical locking / unlocking, which includes an opening lever (8), an operating member (5) which is mounted on the opening (1) at a distance from said lock and which is manually operable by a user from outside the opening, and a force transmission element (7) which connects the operating member (5) to the opening lever (8) of the lock (3 ), which lock can pass from a closed state preventing the opening of the door to an open state allowing the opening of the door in response to an actuation of the opening lever (8) using the operating member (5), characterized in that the force transmitting element (7) is in two parts (7 a , 7 b ) connected together by an energy accumulator (11), a first ( 7 a ) of the two parts (7 a , 7 b ) being connected to the operating member (5), the second part (7 b ) being connected to the opening lever re (8) of the lock (3), and by the fact that there is provided a blocking means (12) which blocks the second part (7 b ) of the force transmission element (7) when the lock (3) is in a locked state, and which releases said second part of the force transmission element in response to an unlocking command. Opening according to claim 1, characterized in that the second part (7 b ) of the force transmission element (7) carries a stop (13), and in that the locking means (12) is constituted by a pallet (14) which is pivotally mounted between an active position, in which it extends substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the force transmission element (7) and cooperates with said stop (13) to block the second part (7 b ) of the force transmitting element (7), and a retracted position in which said pallet (14) releases the stop (13) so that the second part of the force transmitting element can actuate the opening lever (8) of the lock (3). Opening according to claim 1, characterized in that the second part (7 b ) of the force transmitting element (7) consists of a rod having a groove (17), and in that the locking means (12) is constituted by a finger (18) or a fork, which is mounted movable in translation in a direction perpendicular to the direction (F4) of movement of the force transmitting element (7), between an active position in which the finger (18) or the fork is engaged in said groove (17) to block the second part of the force transmitting element, and an erased position in which the finger or the fork is released from said groove and releases the second part of the force transmission element so that it can actuate the opening lever (8) of the lock (3). Opening according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the fact that the lock (3) further includes a locking / unlocking (9) which inhibits or authorizes the passage of the lock (3) from its closed state to its open state depending on whether it is in a locked position or in an unlocked position, and which can be moved from its locked position to its position unlocking in response to said unlocking command. Opening according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the locking means (12) is connected by another element of force transmission (16) to the locking / unlocking member (9) which moves said blocking means from its active position to its position cleared in response to said unlock command. Opening according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking means (12) is connected to a electromechanical actuator (21) which passes said blocking means from its active position to its erased position in response to said command unlocking. Opening according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by causes the finger (18) or the fork to carry a pin (22) which is engaged in an oblong slot (23) of an elongated rectangular plate (24), which is pivotally mounted between a first position in which it acts, by a first longitudinal edge of its lumen, on the nipple (22) of the finger (18) or of the fork to keep the latter in its active position, and a second position in which said plate (24) acts, by a second longitudinal edge of its lumen (23), on the nipple (22) of the finger (18) or of the fork to hold the latter in its position cleared. Opening according to claim 7 attached to the claim 4, characterized in that the plate (24) is connected by another force transmission element (16) to the locking / unlocking (9), which passes said plate from its first position to its second position in response to said command unlocking. Opening according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the plate (24) is connected to an electromechanical actuator which moves said wafer from its first position to its second position in response to said unlock command.

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