EP1862618B1 - Motor vehicle door lock - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock, with a locking mechanism consisting essentially of catch and pawl, further comprising a drive for lifting the pawl and thus opening the locking mechanism, and with a memory element acted upon by a spring, which holds the pawl in the raised position until the catch is open.

A motor vehicle door lock of the embodiment described above is exemplified in the DE 40 42 678 C1 described. Here, a trigger lever is associated with a storage lever as a storage element. In the storage position of the storage element, the pawl is held in the open position until the catch has been fully opened by manually opening an associated motor vehicle door. In this way, it is to be ensured that when the vehicle door is triggered, for example, by remote control but not completely executed, the pawl falls into the catch (again) and an opening is not (anymore) possible. Such a functional state can be set when the motor drive for lifting the pawl after the (remote-controlled) opening signal is then (re) transferred to its initial position. The known procedure has proven itself.

However, functional positions can also occur here, which are due to a momentum of the known memory lever. Because this memory lever is basically free to move. In addition, the known solution uses an overall constructive improvement shape. The invention aims to remedy this situation.

The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing a motor vehicle door lock of the design described above, that the reliability, especially with regard to the memory element, is increased and a structurally simple design is provided.

To solve this technical problem, a generic motor vehicle door lock is characterized in that the storage element by means of the spring in particular during opening (and additionally, if necessary, when closing) of the locking mechanism is held in contact with at least one lock component. The lock component can be a stationary and / or movable element.

Overall, this approach prevents indifferent movements of the memory element primarily when opening the locking mechanism. This is even more true when the storage element is fixed when closing the locking mechanism by means of the spring against the lock component. Advantageously, the memory element thus experiences a determination during all functional states of the locking mechanism or of the associated motor vehicle door lock. D. h., The spring associated with the storage element ensures that the storage element is always applied by the application of the spring to at least one (or more) lock components.

This applies regularly to all functional states when opening and closing the locking mechanism. In the aforementioned castle components is generally the pawl, the drive and optionally an opening lever, which cooperates with the pawl. In this case, there is always a movable lock component. In addition, a stop on the housing and / or on the lock case may act as a (fixed) lock component, which provides a stop for the storage element. Of course, other Schlossbestaridteile are conceivable in principle. In general, however, the invention attacks here the aforementioned movable (and / or stationary) elements and levers, primarily the components of the locking mechanism which provide a bearing surface for the storage element.

In detail, the storage element is a lever which is designed to be rotatable about a fixed axis. It has proven useful if the storage element has a spring leg and a stop leg. The spring acts on the spring limb, whereas the stop limb is held in contact with the said lock component by the spring.

D. h., According to the invention, the stop leg is continuously applied to the relevant lock component, although in addition or alternatively, in principle, the spring leg can be held in abutment position on the lock component. In most cases, the spring leg and the stop leg are arranged at an angle to each other, so that the storage element or the storage lever has the overall shape of an angle lever. This angle lever is usually stored in the region of its apex, namely the already mentioned fixed axis.

It has proven useful to arrange the storage element functionally between the pawl and the catch. In detail may be interposed at this point nor an optional opening lever, but this is not mandatory. In this way, the memory element of its original function is particularly advantageous after, namely to hold the pawl in the raised position until the catch is open.

The memory element usually occupies at least two functional positions. In fact, the storage element is usually in the course of lifting the pawl by means of the drive from a rest to a working position transferred. In the raised position of the pawl, in contrast, the moving in the open position rotary latch ensures that the storage element is transferred from the working position back to its rest position. In order to assume and maintain the functional position, the storage element in this functional position usually bears against a stop of an opening lever and / or a stop of the detent pawl.

The two functional positions of the storage element are taken against the force of the spring acting on the storage element. This spring is usually a bistable tilt spring, so such a spring that can take at least two functional positions (rest and working position) and yet provides a spring loading of the storage element. In order to achieve this bistability of the tilt spring, the spring is designed as a spiral spring. In a preferred embodiment, the spring has two arms, one arm of the spring on the housing and the other arm is arranged on the storage lever. Here, it has proven useful if the spring arms are angled at least at the end and are hung in openings on the housing and on the storage lever, which facilitates the assembly of the spring.

The drive has on the one hand a latch cam for acting on the pawl and on the other hand, a storage cam to pressurize the storage element. Both the pawl cam and the storage cam are arranged on a common drive pulley, which in turn is acted upon by a rotary drive motor.

As a result, a motor vehicle door lock is provided, which is characterized by a particularly high reliability. This is due to the fact that the memory element which holds the pawl in the raised position until the rotary latch is open, no uncontrolled Can perform movements. For this purpose, the invention proposes that the storage element is held by means of the acting spring during all functional states when opening and closing the locking system in contact with at least one lock component. This lock component is primarily the optional opening lever, respectively the pawl, the catch or also the storage cam of the drive.

Overall, a simple design solution is followed, which is logically designed cost-effective. At the same time a slight noise is observed by the permanent investment of the storage element on at least one lock component. Overall, it is understood that the known motor vehicle door lock generally works in conjunction with mostly wireless query / opening mechanisms, which are known under the generic term "keyless entry". As a consequence of this, there is a motorized opening of the locking mechanism, which is also referred to as "electrical opening", since the drive motor is designed predominantly as an electric motor. Here are the main benefits.

• Fig. 1 bis 9 den erfindungsgemäßen Kraftfahrzeugtürverschluss in verschiedenen Funktionsstellungen.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing only one exemplary embodiment; show it:

• Fig. 1 to 9 the motor vehicle door lock according to the invention in different functional positions.

In all representations, a motor vehicle door lock is shown, which is composed of the illustrated each motor vehicle door lock 1 and a locking pin 2 in its basic features. The locking pin 2 is only in the Fig. 1 to 3 shown the transition from an open motor vehicle door lock ( Fig. 1 ) to the closed position in the Fig. 3 represent.

The basic structure of the motor vehicle door lock includes a locking mechanism 3, 4 of essentially rotary latch 3 and pawl 4 and a drive 5, 6, 7, 8, to dig out the pawl 4 and thus to open the locking mechanism 3, 4. Furthermore, an opening lever 9 is realized, which is connected in the exemplary embodiment with the pawl 4 and how this is coaxially mounted rotatably about a housing-fixed axis of rotation 10 in a lock housing. - Also rotatably mounted in the lock housing is the rotary latch 3, and indeed about an axis eleventh

The essential structure also includes an acted upon by a spring 12 storage element 13, which in the present case is designed as a storage lever 13 respectively angle lever with two angle arms 13a, 13b. In fact, the storage element 13 or the storage lever 13 has a spring leg 13a connected to the spring 12 and a stop leg 13b, which are arranged approximately at right angles to each other in the illustration and not restricting. For the storage of the storage element or storage lever 13 provides a stationary axis of rotation 14, which may also be in the lock housing, namely in the present case in a plane arranged above the plane of the housing part, may be determined. The same applies to an only indicated axis of rotation 15 about which a drive pulley 6 of the drive 5, 6, 7, 8, is rotatably mounted.

In addition to this drive pulley 6, the drive 5, 6, 7, 8 a pawl cam 7 for acting primarily the pawl 4 and the cooperating with the pawl 4 opening lever 9 and additionally a storage cam 8, which acts on the storage element or the storage lever 13. A drive motor 5 designed as an electric motor ensures that the drive disk 6 can perform a movement in a clockwise direction via a known worm drive, as can be seen from the FIGS Fig. 4 ff. can recognize what is still in the

Detail is explained. D. h., The drive pulley 6 operates in the present case clockwise, and that exclusively, which of course is not mandatory.

The sequence of functions is as explained below. In the Fig. 1 is the vehicle door lock 1 and the entire vehicle door lock in its "open" position. D. h., The locking mechanism 3, 4 is open, which also applies to the rotary latch 3. In order now to the motor vehicle door lock 1 in the closed position after the Fig. 3 to transfer, the locking pin 2 moves in a known manner in a recess 16 of the rotary latch 3, which is initiated by a closing bolt 2 carrying and associated motor vehicle door (manually) is closed. In all these operations, the storage lever or the storage element 13 is in its rest position. In this rest position of the memory lever 13 is located on a contour not explicitly shown on the housing and / or a likewise not shown lock case. This can be attributed to the fact that during the closing process, the functionality of the memory element 13 is largely not needed.

It can be seen that the locking pin 2 entering the recess 16 pivots the rotary latch 3 increasingly clockwise about its axis 11. In this process, the drive 5, 6, 7, 8 as well as the memory element 13 remain at rest. The pawl 4 slides in this case along a contour 3a of the rotary latch 3 along and finally falls with an angled pawl nose in a belonging to a main branch contour 3b, as the end position to Fig. 3 documented.

At the beginning of the closing process or when the locking mechanism is open after Fig. 1 is the storage lever 13 to the already mentioned and not shown contour on the housing and / or on the lock case. As the closing process progresses, the rotary latch 3 is in accordance with Fig. 2 first in an overstroke position, wherein subsequently the pawl 4 via a spring, not shown in the belonging to the main branch contour 3b of the rotary latch 3 is incident. This final state and the associated functional position locking "closed" is in the Fig. 3 shown. As I said, the storage lever or the storage element 13 has experienced during this entire process, no (substantial) loading and its associated and acting on it spring 12 has remained relaxed. At the same time, the storage lever 13 has a positioning or location in the positions according to the FIGS. 2 and 3 Experienced.

The opening of the locking mechanism 3, 4 will now be related to the Fig. 4 ff. explained. For this purpose, the drive 5, 6, 7, 8 receives an opening command, which has been given for example by "keyless entry" and / or remote-controlled. Thereafter, the drive motor or electric motor 5 is energized so that its meshing with the drive pulley 6 output shaft, the drive pulley 6 in the transition from the Fig. 3 to Fig. 4 acted upon in a clockwise direction. Actually, the drive pulley 6 makes an approximately 180 ° clockwise rotation in this transition, as compared to the Fig. 3 and 4 recognizes. As a result, the pawl cam 7 attached to the drive pulley 6 comes into abutment with the opening lever 9 connected to the pawl 4. As a result, the pawl 4 moves towards the skin-catching position Fig. 3 (slightly) dug. The storage lever 13 retains - initially - its rest position.

Now, if the pawl 4 is further excavated by the further rotating in a clockwise direction cam 8 by the storage cam 8 causes a rotation of the pawl 4 about its axis 10 in the counterclockwise direction, then comes in the position Fig. 5 the catch 3 of the pawl 4 completely free. At the transition from the Fig. 4 to Fig. 5 is the storage lever 13 with its stop leg 13b (yet) on the said contour of the housing. At the same time you can see that the memory lever 13 through the on its storage contour 13c driving storage cam 8 in its rest position in the Fig. 5 approached and thus arrested. In the Fig. 4 ensures the said contour.

When the transition from the Fig. 5 to Fig. 6 the drive pulley 6 is further rotated clockwise about its axis of rotation 15, the storage cam 8 moves to act on the storage element 13 on the storage contour 13c further along. Since the storage contour 13c is arcuate, this process ensures that the storage element or the storage lever 13 is transferred or transferred from its rest position to its working position. This can be seen by comparing the FIGS. 5 and 6 ,

D. h., The drive 5, 6, 7, 8 and here in particular the storage cam 8 ensures that the storage element 13 is transferred in the course of the lifting of the pawl 4 from its rest position to its working position. In this working position, the storage element 13 abuts against a stop 17 of the opening lever 9. The abovementioned stop 17 could alternatively or additionally also be formed on the pawl 4. At the same time in this process designed as a spiral spring with two ends or arms spring 12 is pivoted, tilted in the present case. D. h., The said spring 12 is designed as a bistable tilt spring. For this purpose, the said spring 12 has the already mentioned two ends or arms, which are arranged on the one hand on the housing (left arm) and on the other hand on the storage element (right arm), in this case mounted in the relevant components. Both arms are connected at the end to a spiral region or helical region 18 of the spring 12 (cf. Fig. 1 ).

Once the memory element 13 and the memory lever 13 with its spring leg 13 a respectively a local nose 13 'to the aforementioned stop 17 in the transition from the Fig. 6 to Fig. 7 is applied, thereby at the same time the spring or tilt spring 12 stretched. Because the pawl 4 is dug in this functional position and, consequently, the catch 3 (spring assisted by a spring, not shown) is transferred to the open position, the locking mechanism 3, 4 is total in its "open" position. These further functional positions can be recognized in the following Fig. 7 to 9 , Here, the first captured locking pin 2 (again) is released.

The functionally arranged between the pawl 4 respectively the opening lever 9 and the rotary latch 3 storage element or the storage lever 13 ensures in this context that the same excavated position of the pawl 4 is stored. D. h., The pawl 4 is held in the raised position until the rotary latch 3 is opened. The invention achieves this in detail by virtue of the fact that the storage element 13 rests against the stop 17 and supports this position by the spring 12 - initially - (see FIG. Fig. 6 . 7 and 8 ).

Now, if the catch 3 passes into its open position by turning counterclockwise about the axis 11, so ensures a cam 3 c on the rotary latch 3 that the storage lever 13 is changed or again assumes its rest position (see. 8 and 9 ). In this process, the spring 12 is also pivoted so that ultimately in the Fig. 9 the original starting position as in the Fig. 1 is reached again.

Before these with reference to the Fig. 7 to 9 shown operations is the drive 5, 6, 7, 8 in its initial position after the Fig. 1 moved by the drive pulley 6 starting in the position after Fig. 6 has been rotated by about 40 ° clockwise about the axis of rotation 15. In this position after the Fig. 7 to 9 ensure abutting edges 19, 20 on the one hand the pawl cam 7 and on the other hand the opening lever 9 that the pawl 4 connected to the opening lever 9 maintains its position.

The same is the stationary and not shown contour on the housing (and / or on the lock case) for the memory element 13 in the closed position of the rotary latch 3 after the Fig. 9 and 1 for sure. Only when the contour 3a, the pawl 4 in the transition from the Fig. 1 to Fig. 2 and continue to Fig. 3 leaves, the mutual contact of the two edges 19, 20 is repealed and the pawl 4 can then in the closed rotary latch 3 after the Fig. 3 are incident, in the corresponding to the main branch contour 3b of the rotary latch. 3

During the opening process of the rotary latch 3 in the context of Fig. 7 to 9 The cam 3c of the rotary latch 3 slides along the storage element 13 or its stop leg 13b. As a result, the opening operation of the rotary latch 3 is attenuated as a result of the spring 12 slightly compressed by this functional sequence. At the end of this movement, the storage element 13 releases from the stop 17, so that now the pawl 4 can create the contour 3a of the rotary latch 3 (see. Fig. 9 ). As a result, the same position as in the Fig. 1 (again) achieved. At the same time, the storage element 13 abuts the stop leg 13b slightly on the relevant contour on the housing. It should additionally be emphasized that the memory element 13 is expressly arranged in a different (spaced) plane than the locking mechanism 3, 4, is located in the embodiment above the spanned by the rotary latch 3 and pawl 4 level. In this plane of the locking mechanism 3, 4 and the opening lever 9 is placed, which is connected to the pawl 4. The fact that the cam 3c rests perpendicular to the rotary latch 3, he is able to interact with the memory element arranged above 13 in the manner described.

It can finally be seen that the storage element 13 by means of the spring 12 and tilt spring 12 during all functional states, in particular when opening the locking mechanism 3, 4, in contact with at least one lock component 8th; 17; 3c is held. In the respective lock component 8; 17; 3c is the cam 3c of the rotary latch 3, which ultimately transfers the storage element from the rest position to the working position (see FIG. 8 and 9 ). Next the memory cam 8, which in the context of FIGS. 5 and 6 interacts with the storage contour 13c of the storage element 13. To the lock components 8; 17; 3 c heard beyond the stop 17 on the opening lever 9 in the context of Fig. 6 and 7 , Finally, these non-illustrated and stationary contour in or on the housing (and / or in or on the lock case), which the memory element or the storage lever 13 in the context of the remaining functional positions in the Fig. 1 to 4 sets.

Claims (10)

1. Motor vehicle door lock comprising a locking mechanism (3, 4) consisting mainly of a catch (3) and a pawl (4), as well as a drive (5, 6, 7, 8) for lifting-out the pawl (4) and thus opening the locking mechanism (3, 4) and including a holding element (13) acted upon by a spring (12) and holding the pawl (4) in the lifted-out position until the catch (3) is open, characterized in that, the spring (12) forces the holding element (13) against at least one part of the lock (3c; 8; 17) in particular during the opening of the locking mechanism (3, 4).
2. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding element (13) is designed as a lever pivotable around a fixed axis (14) and, in particular, an elbow lever.
3. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the holding element (13) comprises a spring leg (13a) and a stop leg (13b).
4. Motor vehicle door lock according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the stop leg (13b) and/or the spring leg (13a) are in continuous contact with the part of the lock(3c; 8; 17).
5. Motor vehicle door lock according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the holding element (13) is functionally arranged between the pawl (4) and the catch (3).
6. Motor vehicle door lock according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that during the lifting-out of the pawl (4), the holding element (13) is moved by the drive (5, 6, 7, 8) from a resting into an operating position.
7. Motor vehicle door lock according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that in its operating position, the holding element (13) rests against a stop (17) of an opening lever (9) and/or the pawl (4).
8. Motor vehicle door lock according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that in the lifted-out position of the pawl (4), the catch (3) moved to its open position displaces the holding element (13) into its rest position, in which it rests against the profile of a housing.
9. Motor vehicle door lock according to one of the claims 1 to fcs1 8, characterized in that the spring (12) acting upon the holding element (13) is a toggle spring.
10. Motor vehicle door lock according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the drive (5, 6, 7, 8) contains a pawl cam (7) acting upon the pawl (4) as well as a holding cam (8) acting upon the holding element (13).

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