EP1521893B1 - Lock comprising two locking rods, in particular for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The invention is directed to a closure of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1. It is provided at least one longitudinally movable locking bar whose direction of movement is determined by a longitudinal guide. The locking bar is driven by an actuator by a rotor. The outer rod end engages a locking opening in the stationary part of the closure.

In the known closure of this type (WO 95/27115 A1) two locking rods are integrally formed with their rotor made of plastic, but as a connection between the rotor and the locking bars is an elastic flap which is to exert a resilient spring load on the locking bars in the case of installation, to keep them in their locked position. This is achieved by making the two locking bars, the two lobes and the rotor therebetween in the stretched state and brings the flap in the installation in the flap in a bending position, whereby they act as leaf springs. As an actuator for moving the locking bar is a manipulation member which presses against an integrally formed on the locking bar transverse wall and pivots about the associated lobe the rotor relative to the locking position. To increase the flexibility of the lobes at the junction of the rotor, the lobes are very thin. This endangers the strength of the closure. The longitudinal guides for the two locking bars consist of two spaced-apart tabs, which between them a cross section capture the locking bar. In the area of the elastic tabs and the rotor no guides are provided.

In a closure of another type (DE 44 00 628 A1) so-called "film hinges" are arranged between rigid sections of locking bars, two rotors and connecting rods, which produce a flexible connection between these rigid parts.

In a closure with three bars (DE 23 19 315 A), the two counter-locking bars are connected to bearing ends of two links, which are connected via elastic bands with a rotatable by the key rotor. The rotor, the two elastic bands and the handlebar are made in one piece from plastic. During the rotational operation of the rotor, the links can perform a limited pivotal movement in the lock housing, while their bearing ends are longitudinally guided in grooves of the lock housing. The elastic bands extend in radial slots of the rotor and merge into the inner ends of the associated link. This transition is at risk of breakage due to its weakening and because of the load during pivoting. The handlebars have at the end of their front end a groove profile, in which the rotor can penetrate in the maximum pivoting position of the handlebars. In the minimum pivoting position of the handlebars, the front ends of the handlebars should be supported at a right-angled bend of the elastic bands at a flattened circumferential point of the rotor. The locking bars are in any case two of these transmissions separate components that must be made for themselves and subsequently connected to the two bearing ends of the transmission articulated. Between the links and the locking bars and the bearing ends and the housing grooves is a game that causes rattling noises when the vehicle moves.

The invention has for its object to develop a low-cost closure of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1, which works reliably, withstands high loads and survives numerous cycles without damage. This is inventively achieved by the measures specified in claim 1, which have the following special significance.

In the invention, the inner portion of the locking bar is used as an elastic member. This inner portion of the locking bar is flexible and should therefore always be referred to below as a "bending section".

This bending section can lie over an arbitrarily large circumferential area over the circumference of the rotor during the rotation of the rotor. The bending portion of the locking bar acts like a rope, which winds around the circumference of the rotor. This eliminates first an expensive production of items and their time-consuming installation. All members of the closure according to the invention hang against each other and are therefore absolutely free of play against each other. The closure according to the invention is therefore characterized by optimum noise-free movement of the vehicle. An unpleasant rattling due to a game coupled components is avoided.

Fig. 1,

in einem Längsschnitt durch das Gehäuse die wesentlichsten Teile des erfindungsgemäßen Verschlusses, wenn sich dieser in seiner Verriegelungslage befindet,

Fig. 2,

in einer der Fig. 1 entsprechenden Darstellung, die Freigabelage des Verschlusses,

Fig. 3,

in Vergrößerung den zentralen, in Fig. 1 mit III gekennzeichneten Bereich dieses Verschlusses und

Fig. 4, 5+6

Querschnitte durch die mit IV - IV bzw. V - V bzw. VI - VI gekennzeichneten Bereiche des in Fig. 3 gezeigten Verschlusses.

Further measures and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the following description and the drawings. In the drawings, the invention is shown in one embodiment. Show it:

Fig. 1,

in a longitudinal section through the housing the most essential parts of the closure according to the invention, when this is in its locking position,

2,

in a representation corresponding to FIG. 1, the release position of the closure,

3,

in enlargement the central, in Fig. 1 marked with III area of this closure and

Fig. 4, 5 + 6

Cross sections through the marked with IV - IV or V - V and VI - VI areas of the closure shown in Fig. 3.

The embodiment shown in the drawings shows a closure, which can be divided in terms of its most important components in two units 10 and 30, which are largely formed in one piece despite several members. The one unit 10 comprises two locking bars 11, 12 and a rotor 20 arranged therebetween. Because these components in the actuation case are movable, this unit will be hereinafter referred to as "movement unit".

To accommodate this movement unit 10 is a housing-like part, which, as shown in FIG. 1, can be divided into the following components. First, a first and a second guide 31, 32 for the two locking bars 11, 12 on the one hand and an intermediate carrier 33 on the other. Furthermore, mounting flanges 34 may be provided on the guides 31, 32 for attachment of this second structural unit 30. On the carrier 33 sits a bearing pin 35, which serves as a pivot bearing for the rotor 20. Al1 these components 31 to 35 are integrally formed in the present case and form a common unit 30. Because upon actuation of the shutter, the members of this assembly 30 rest, this unit will be hereinafter referred to briefly as "rest unit".

As shown in FIG. 1, the movement unit 10 is integrated in the rest unit 30. This integration takes place after the manufacture of the two units 10, 30. For this, the box-like components of the rest unit 30 can be opened, e.g. by a releasable lid to insert the moving unit 10 as a whole into the resting unit 30. After this combination of FIGS. 10 and 30, there is then a preassembled combination unit 40 which, as a whole, can be fastened either to the moving part or to the stationary part of a door or flap in a vehicle. In the present case, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the combination unit 40 is fastened to a glove box flap 41. The stationary part 42 consists in the present case of parts of the glove box housing. There locking openings 43 are provided, in which in the removable from Fig. 1 locking position, which, normally present at the rod outer end provided bolt ends 13 engage.

Both locking rods 11, 12 are in the present case mutually mirrored the same. It is therefore sufficient to describe their particular structure on the basis of a locking bar 11, which should be done with reference to FIG. This applies mutatis mutandis to the second locking bar 12.

In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 2, the Fiegelstange 11 can be divided into two main sections 14, 15, which have a mutually different dimensional stability. While the inner portion 15 is formed flexible, the adjoining remainder portion 14 is formed substantially dimensionally stable. Because of its deformability, therefore, the inner portion 15 is hereinafter referred to as "bending portion".

The remaining portion 14 of the locking bar is provided with a crank 16, which is arranged here in the middle of the remainder portion 14 and therefore divides it into three subsections 17, 18, 19. The first subsection 17 is formed in linear extension from the outer end of the bending section 15 on this and extends, as can be seen from the enlargement of Fig. 3, substantially tangential to the rotary motion of the rotor to be described in more detail, there by the rotary arrow 25 is illustrated.

The third subsection 19 of the dimensionally stable remainder section extends in a straight line, parallel to the first subsection 17 in lateral offset. The subsection 19 is set so that it lies in a dash-dotted radial plane 24 indicated by the rotational axis 23 of FIG Rotor 20 goes. The result is that the two with their initial subsections 17 as shown in FIG. 2 in lateral offset 37 extending locking bars 11, 12 are aligned with their two bar ends 13, but lie in the aforementioned radial plane 24.

The subsection 18 bridges this lateral offset 37 by the mentioned offset 16. This is achieved by a slope progression of this subsection 18, for which reason this section 18 will be referred to below as "slope section" for short.

From Fig. 3, the cohesion between the three members 11, 12, 20 of the moving unit 10 is best seen. This is done first by the fact that the rotor 20 is integrally formed with its two diametrically opposite circumferential points 21 and 22 to the bending portions 15 of the two rods 11 and 12 respectively. This is done by two radial arms 26 and 27, of a common hub 28 go out and part of the rotor 20 are. The aforementioned circumferential locations 21, 22 are formed in the present case by the free arm ends, on which the bending section 15 is formed and continues tangentially in the extended subsection 17 of the respective locking bar 11, 12. The two arms 26, 27 are diametrically opposed to each other.

One possibility for producing the movement unit 10 is to form the bending section 25 on the one hand and the remaining section 14 of the two locking bars 11, 12 on the other hand from two different materials. In this case, a bending-friendly material is used as in the dimensionally stable remainder portions 14 for this bending section 25. The intermediate rotor 20 is also formed from this dimensionally stable material. Such injection molding of two different materials is referred to as "two-K process" and is known.

In terms of production, it is simpler, according to the exemplary embodiment, to use the same, inherently rigid material for the bending sections 25, the rod remainders 14 and for the rotor 20. In this case, different shape strengths are obtained by different profiles of the constituents. This can best be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

A comparison between the two FIGS. 4 and 6 shows that substantially the same outer profile width 44 and outer profile height 45 are present in the bent section 25 as in the rigid sections 17. The deformability of the bending section 25 is achieved by a particular longitudinal profiling 46 from the bending section 15. In fact, in this area, the cross section is reduced in places, namely at 47. There is a running in the middle of the profile web 47, as shown in Fig. 4 can be seen. This web 47 connects in each case two transverse plates 48 which, as shown in FIG. 5, generate with their plate circumference for a contact with the inner surfaces of the respective guide 31, 32 to be described in greater detail. One can think of this longitudinal profiling 46 composed of a series of H-pieces 48, which are connected by two-sided central webs 47 polymer-like.

As already mentioned, the adjoining subsection 17 already belongs to the dimensionally stable rod remainder, the structure of which can be seen from FIG. There is a rugged cross-section 50 which extends over the entire length of the above-described remaining portion 14. In the present case, a cross-section is provided with a cross beam 51, 52 running in the width direction and in the height direction. Such a division of the cross section 50 results in a large area moment of inertia with minimal material expenditure, which ensures the desired stiffening of these residual sections 14.

Instead of the described structure of the movement unit 10 could alternatively provide a flexible connection between the rigid per se main portion 14 of the two locking bars 11 and 12 on the one hand and the connection point 21 and 22 from the rotor 20 on the other. In this view, one could already see the transition region of the bending section 15 marked 53 in FIG. 3 as such a "flexible connection". This connection could alternatively consist of a so-called "film hinge" between the rotor 20 and the rigid start portion 17 of the rigid locking bar 11 and 12, respectively. It would then be possible either to dispense with guides 31, 32 completely, or to limit these to only partial supports of the dimensionally stable remaining sections 14 of the two rods.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the guide 31 or 32 consists of a channel 54 which encloses the described cross sections 48 and 50 on all sides. In the present case, as will be explained in more detail with reference to the second guide 32 of FIG. 2, the guide is formed in the following special way. Each of the two guides 32 initially has a manifold 55 which extends concentrically to the rotor axis of rotation 23. The manifold 55 is just dimensioned so that the bending portion 15 is accommodated therein when the movement unit 10 is brought into the apparent from Fig. 2, clarified by the auxiliary lines 10.2 release position of their bolt ends 13. In this case, the rotor 20 has performed the already mentioned rotational movement 25 with respect to its starting position shown in FIG. In Fig. 1, as indicated by the auxiliary line 10.1, the moving unit 10 is in its locking position. In this case, the above-described connecting piece 53 protrudes from the bending section 15 into the adjoining channel piece 57 according to FIG. 1, which, as shown in FIG. 2, runs tangentially to the manifold 55. This channel piece 57 is mainly used for Housing the rigid starting portion 17 of the respective locking bar 12 and 11, respectively.

Then follows a channel piece 58 which receives the described slope portion 18 and therefore has an enlarged inside width 56. The width 56 is greater than / equal to the stroke 60 which can be seen from FIG. 2 between the two end positions 10. 1, 10. 2 of the movement unit 10. If required, the lateral channel walls 36 could serve to limit such a longitudinal stroke 60.

Finally, this extended third channel section 58 is followed by a last further section 59, which serves for longitudinal guidance of the outermost section 19 of the locking bar, where the locking ends 13, which have already been mentioned several times, are located. This last channel section 59 runs again in the described radial plane 24 of FIG. 1 with respect to the rotor 20.

The one-piece movement unit 10 is under the action of a restoring force, which endeavors to load the two locking bars 11, 12 in opposite directions in the sense of the force arrows 61, 62 of FIG. The serving return spring can attack at any point. Because of the particular integrity of the whole unit 10, it is advisable to use a common leg spring 38, the first spring leg 29 is supported on the rotor 20 and the second spring leg 39 on the carrier 33. This leg spring 38 surrounds the bearing pin 35, which, as already mentioned, sits on the carrier 33 and is integral with the rest unit 30. The support 33 provides for the cohesion of the two guides 31, 32 and has mounting holes 63. Analog mounting holes 63 are also located in the mounting flanges 34, which, as shown in FIG. 2, at the end of the respective guides 32, ie the last channel section 59 are formed ,

There is a common actuator for the two locking bars, which is not shown in detail and may for example consist of a pulling handle or rotary handle. It is sufficient that this actuator acts on one of the two locking bars 12 or 11, because by the rotor 20 is a synchronization between the two rods 11, 12, which is free of play and rattling due to the special one-piece production of the movement unit. In the present case serves as Attack point for the operating end of such an actuator, a shoulder 64 which sits axially fixed to the second locking bar 12. In the normally present present locking position 10.1 of the movement unit 10, the shoulder 64 is in its marked with the auxiliary line 64.1 rest position of Fig. 1 and 3. By the aforementioned actuator is, as Fig. 2 illustrates, the shoulder in their through the auxiliary line 64.2 illustrated working position. As a result, the locking bars are moved in opposite directions in the sense of the movement arrows 65 and 66 and move into the associated channels 31 and 32 of the rest unit 30.

In order to allow the rotational movement of the mounted rotor 20 in the guides 31 and 32, there are wall openings 67, 68 for the two arms 26, 27 are provided. In an analogous manner, a cutout 69 in the guide 32 is provided for the longitudinal displacement of the shoulder 64, which is dimensioned sufficiently large in comparison with the longitudinal movement 70 shown in FIG. 2 between the two positions 64.1 and 64.2 of FIG.

List of reference numbers:

10

first assembly, one-piece movement unit

10.1

Locking position of 10 (Fig. 1, 3)

10.2

Release position of 10 (Figure 2)

11

first locking bar of 10

12

second locking bar of 10

13

Bar end of 11 or 12 respectively

14

dimensionally stable main section of 11 or 12, remaining section (FIG. 2)

15

flexible main section of 11 and 12, inner bending section (Fig. 2)

16

Increment in 11 or 12

17

first subsection of FIG. 14, initial section (FIG. 2)

18

second subsection of FIG. 14, middle slope section (FIG. 2)

19

third subsection of FIG. 14, outer section (FIG. 2)

20

rotor

21

first circumferential location of 20 (FIG. 3)

22

second circumferential location of 20 (Figure 3)

23

Rotor rotation axis of 20 (Fig. 1, 2)

24

Radial plane to 23 for 19 (Figure 1)

25

Arrow of rotation of 20 (Fig. 3)

26

first radial arm of 20 at 21 (FIG. 3)

27

second arm of FIG. 20 at 22 (FIG. 3)

28

Hub of 20

29

first spring leg of FIG. 38 at 20 (FIG. 3)

30

second unit, rest unit

31

first lead at 30 for 11

32

second lead of 30 for 12

33

Carrier between 31, 32 (FIG. 3)

34

Mounting flanges at 31 and 32 (Fig. 1)

35

Bearing pin for 20 (Fig. 3)

36

inner duct wall at 58 (Figure 2)

37

lateral offset between 17 of 11 and 12 (FIG. 2)

38

Leg spring for 61, 62 (FIG. 3)

39

second spring leg of FIG. 38 at 33 (FIG. 3)

40

Combination unit of FIGS. 10, 30 (FIG. 1)

41

movable part, flap

42

stationary part, housing

43

Lock opening in 42 for 13 (Fig. 1)

44

External profile width of 25 or 17 (Figures 4, 5)

45

Profile external height of 25 or 17 (FIGS. 4, 5)

46

Longitudinal profiling of 15 (Figure 3)

47

Bridge from 46 to 15 (Fig. 3)

48

Transverse plate from 46 in Fig. 15 (Fig. 3)

49

H-piece from 47, 48 (FIG. 3)

50

fissured section of Figs. 14, 17 (Fig. 6)

51

first crossbar of 50 (Figure 6)

52

second crossbar of 50 (Figure 6)

53

flexible connection at 15 (Figure 3)

54

Channel for 31, 32 (FIGS. 5, 6)

55

first duct piece of 32 or 31, elbow (FIG. 2)

56

clear width of 58 (FIG. 2)

57

second channel piece for 17, tangential piece (FIG. 2)

58

third channel piece for 18, extended channel piece (FIG. 2)

59

fourth channel piece for 19, last channel piece (FIG. 2)

60

Stroke of 13 (Figure 2)

61

Force load arrow for 11 (Fig. 1)

62

Force load arrow for 12 (Fig. 1)

63

Mounting hole in 33 or 34 for 30 or 40 (FIG. 1)

64

Shoulder to 12 (Fig. 1)

64.1

Rest position of 64 (FIGS. 1, 2)

64.2

Working position of 64 (Fig. 2)

65

Arrow of the retraction movement of 11 (FIG. 2)

66

Arrow of the retraction movement of 12 (FIG. 2)

67

Breakout in 31 for 26 (FIG. 3)

68

Breakout in 32 for 27 (FIG. 3)

69

Section in FIG. 32 for FIG. 34 (FIG. 3)

70

Longitudinal movement of 64 (Figure 2)

Claims (19)

1. Lock, particularly for vehicles, for locking a moving part, such as a hinged flap (41), against a stationary part, such as a housing (42),
   and with at least one locking rod (11, 12) that can move longitudinally (65, 66) and is driven from a rotor (20) by means of an actuator,
   with an internal section of the locking rod (11, 12) being flexibly formed and forming a curved section (15),
   and with the rotor (20) forming a single piece with the curved section (15),
   with a longitudinal guide (31, 32) for the locking rod (11, 12)
   with a locking opening (43) in the stationary part (42) into which the outer rod end (13) of the locking rod (11, 12) moves to effect locking,
   characterized in that
   also the curved section (15) is guided in the longitudinal guide (31, 32) of the locking rod (11, 12),
   this longitudinal guide (31, 32) runs in a curve (55) in the area of the curved section (15), at least in places essentially coaxial with respect to the rotary axis (23) of the rotor (20)
   and that the rotor (20) at a peripheral point (21, 22) is integrally formed with the side face of the curved section (15) of the locking rod (11, 12).
2. Lock according to Claim 1, characterized in that in the area of the curved section (15) the longitudinal guide (31, 32) essentially runs tangentially (57) with respect to the rotation (25) of the rotor (20) where it connects to the curved guide piece (55).
3. Lock according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the curved section (15) sits, at least in places, tangentially on the free end of the arm (26, 27) of the rotor (20).
4. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking rod or locking rods (11, 12) are cranked (16).
5. Lock according to Claim 4, characterized in that the end of the locking rod (13) that effects the locking essentially runs radially (24) relative to the rotary axis (23) of the rotor (20),
   and that the locking rod (11, 12) has a central section (18) that is inclined relative to its longitudinal movement (65, 66),
   that bridges the radial distance (37) to the inner curved section (15) of the locking rod (11, 12).
6. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rotary bearing (35) of the rotor (20) is seated on a carrier (33)
   and that the carrier (33) is formed as one piece with the guide (31, 32) for the locking rod or locking rods (11, 12).
7. Lock according to Claim 6, characterized in that the rotary bearing of the rotor (20) consists of a bearing pin (35)
   and that the bearing pin (35) is formed as a single piece with the carrier (33) and the guide (31, 32).
8. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the longitudinal guides (11, 12) are formed in the shape of a channel.
9. Lock according to Claim 8, characterized in that the guide channel (31, 32) extends up to the outer end (13) that effects the locking, essentially over the complete length of the locking rod (11, 12).
10. Lock according to Claim 9, characterized in that the guide channel (31, 32) has a channel piece (58) that also encases the inclined section (18) of the locking rod (11, 12),
    and that the channel piece (58) has an internal diameter (56) that is greater, or equal to, the travel (60) of the locking rod (11, 12) during its longitudinal movement (65, 66).
11. Lock according to Claim 10, characterized in that the side channel walls (36) in the channel piece (58) limit the longitudinal travel (16) of the locking rod or locking rods (11, 12).
12. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the longitudinal guide (31, 32) is provided in places with flanges (34) that serve to mount the lock on the moving or stationary part (41, 42).
13. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the lock consists of two assemblies (10, 30) that although they are multi-element each is formed as a single piece, i.e. of a moving unit (10) comprising the locking rod or locking rods (11, 12) with their curved sections (15) and the rotor (20) formed integrally with same on one hand,
    and of a stationary unit (30), consisting of the rotary bearing (35) for the rotor (20), the longitudinal guide or longitudinal guides (31, 32) for the locking rods (11, 12) and as necessary, the carrier (33) arranged in-between and the mounting flange (34).
14. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the locking rod or locking rods (11, 12) consist of two different materials,
    with their material in the area of the curved section (15) being easier to bend than the material of the remainder of the rod (14).
15. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the curved section (15) of the locking rods (11, 12) with the remainder of the rod (14) and the rotor (20) are made of the same dimensionally stable material,
    but the curved section(s) (15) have a profiling (46) that makes them flexible.
16. Lock according to Claim 15, characterized in that the locking rod (11, 12) in the curved section (15) has a maximum profile external width (44) that is essentially the same as the width of the rods in their rigid sections (14)
    and that the curved section (15) has a longitudinal profiling (46) that reduces the cross section of the locking rod (11, 12) in places.
17. Lock according to Claim 16, characterized in that, when seen in plan view, the longitudinal profile (46) of the curved section (15) consists of polymer-type H sections (49) in series.
18. Lock according to Claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the essentially rigid sections (14) of the locking rod (11, 12) have a fissured cross-section (51, 52) that essentially extends in the same shape over the complete length of the section.
19. Lock according to Claim 18, characterized in that the fissured cross section is a cruciform profile (51, 52),
    with the ends of the cross whereof being supported against the inner surface of the longitudinal guides (31, 32).

Images