EP1891289B1 - Automotive door lock - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock, with at least one locking mechanism consisting essentially of catch and pawl, and with a flexible Reibbremsvorrichtung for the locking mechanism, which is effective only shortly before reaching a rigid end stop in the course of a closing movement of the locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism has at least one cam , which interacts with the friction brake device in the course of taking the closed position.

In such motor vehicle door locks, as described for example in the DE 44 20 185 A1 be described, the friction brake device ensures that impact noise of the catch are damped effectively when running onto the end stop. For this purpose, the DE 44 20 185 A1 a cam on the rotary latch or forked latch before, wherein the friction brake device is a protruding into the movement path of the cam shortly before reaching the closed position of the forked leaf spring leaf spring. Although this leaf spring brakes the catch as desired, it can be optimized in terms of noise behavior. In fact, noises are expected at this point unchanged, because the fork made of steel fork meets the leaf spring made of the same material.

On a leaf spring as Reibbremsvorrichtung engages the DE 196 52 012 A1 back. Here, however, it is mainly about avoiding opening noise and not locking noise of the locking mechanism.

Finally, the deals DE 43 03 532 C2 with a motor vehicle door lock, in which the rotary latch for forming the friction brake or friction brake device has a conical, oval recess into which a truncated cone-like, engages oval portion of a cover plate of the door lock. This is particularly expensive to manufacture. Incidentally, the noise behavior does not convince.

The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing a motor vehicle door lock of the embodiment described at the outset such that, with a simple design, the noise development is once again significantly reduced compared to previous designs.

To solve this technical problem, a motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1 is proposed.

It has proved to be favorable when the cam is arranged on the rotary latch and at the same time constitutes a part of a plastic envelope of the rotary latch. Because of this, the cam is automatically performed noise damped and also the catch. In this way, noises of the locking mechanism are reliably suppressed, especially during closing and also during opening. Because of the Reibbremsvorrichtung acting cam is acoustically decoupled from this by its plastic sheath. This is especially true when the friction brake device is made for example of steel or generally metallic. The same applies to the catch and the example made of steel end stop. Since rotary traps are increasingly equipped anyway for acoustic reasons with a plastic sheath, the cam can be easily defined in this enclosure. As a result, the production costs are kept low and the construction cost is small.

Incidentally, this gives the possibility to design the cam and the friction brake in one piece. In fact, it has proven in this context, if the friction brake device is designed as a buffer bag with buffer lip and possibly connected cams, which in turn constitute a part of the plastic casing of the catch. If this buffer bag is now equipped with the cam, which in turn interacts with the end stop in the lock case, the cam and the friction brake can quasi one piece.

In the context of an alternative, however, the cam and the friction brake device are designed separately. In this case, the friction brake device is arranged on the lock housing and / or on the locking mechanism independent of cams. In this case, the friction brake device can be formed integrally with the lock housing and / or the locking mechanism and / or a part of the lock housing and / or the locking mechanism. If the lock housing is made of plastic, it is recommended in this context, also form the friction brake device made of plastic and, for example, to mold or inject the lock housing.

It has proven particularly useful if the friction brake device is designed as interacting with the catch in the course of their closing movement spring lip. This spring lip is therefore preferably made of plastic. It usually has a shape which engages over the cam on the locking mechanism or the catch, and that regularly when the locking mechanism or the catch is in the closed position or in the so-called overstroke position. This overstroke corresponds to the fact that the engaging in an inlet mouth of the catch bolt this moves out during the closing process on the belonging to the main branch position. This can be done both manually by an operator and by motor, for example, a Zuziehhilfe.

Such an overstroke is usually required to ensure a safe collapse of the pawl in the main latching position of the catch, taking into account required for the closing movement tolerances. To limit the overstroke, the motor vehicle door latch has the end stop. Because the friction brake device engages over the cam interacting with it in the overstroke position or the cam is generally ineffective in the overstroke position, ie the friction brake device is not acted upon, the rotary latch is hardly or practically not braked by the friction brake device in this position. In this way, with the overrun already built-up restoring forces due to inevitably existing elasticities, for example, a door rubber seal ensure that the locking mechanism or the catch is pushed back into the main latching position. The Reibbremsvorrichtung is not or at best hardly active in this process or between the cam and the Reibbremsvorrichtung takes place no or only a weak interaction.

Otherwise, the friction brake device largely builds up increasing restoring forces as the closing path increases. This is expressly intended to increasingly brake the incident in the catch latch bolt. In this context, the locking mechanism ensures that the friction brake device is increasingly deformed in the course of taking the closed position. This ensures the cam interacting with the friction brake device which, due to its eccentric shape, acts on the friction brake device to increase to the main detent position, wherein the deformation forces acting on the friction brake device and generated by the cam decrease in the subsequent overstroke area.

As a result, a motor vehicle door lock is provided, which by its particularly sophisticated noise behavior and simple structure convinced. This is initially ensured by the friction brake device, which brakes the locking mechanism and consequently the locking bolt entering the rotary latch in the course of taking the closed position (usually the main locking position). In fact, the locking mechanism with its cam and its eccentric shape ensures that the friction brake device is subjected to increasing pressure in the closing operation, resulting in increasing mechanical frictional forces and consequently braking forces.

After passing the main locking position and consequently in the overstroke range, the cam in conjunction with the friction brake device ensures that frictional forces built up thereby are reduced to a minimum. As a result, the then effective restoring forces can easily reset the locking mechanism in the main load after previously the pawl has fallen properly. - All advantages can of course be claimed even if the pawl is incident in the pre-rest. Likewise, when the cam is arranged instead of the rotary latch on the pawl, which carries in such a case, a plastic sheath. Incidentally, of course, any motor vehicle door locks can profit thereof, for example, not only those for side doors, but also those for tailgates, engine hoods or the like, which also fall under the generic term motor vehicle door lock in the context of the present application.

Fig. 1 und 2

den erfindungsgemäßen Kraftfahrzeugtürverschluss in einer ersten Ausgestaltung in Offenstellung aus zwei verschiedenen Ansichten,

Fig. 3 und 4

den Kraftfahrzeugtürverschluss nach Fig. 1, 2 auf dem Weg in die Hauptraststellung,

Fig. 5

den Kraftfahrzeugtürverschluss nach den Fig. 1 bis 4 im Überhubbereich,

Fig. 6

eine alternative nicht erfindungsgemäße Ausgestaltung beim Übergang in die Hauptraststellung,

Fig. 7

den Gegenstand nach Fig. 6 in der Hauptraststellung und

Fig. 8

den Gegenstand nach den Fig. 6 und 7 im Überhubbereich.

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 and 2

the motor vehicle door lock according to the invention in a first embodiment in the open position of two different views,

3 and 4

the motor vehicle door lock after Fig. 1 . 2 on the way to the main stop position,

Fig. 5

the motor vehicle door lock after the Fig. 1 to 4 in the overtravel area,

Fig. 6

an alternative embodiment not according to the invention in the transition to the main rest position,

Fig. 7

the object after Fig. 6 in the main stop position and

Fig. 8

the object according to the Fig. 6 and 7 in the overtravel area.

In the figures, a motor vehicle door lock is shown, which has a locking mechanism 1, 2 of rotary latch 1 and pawl 2 in the basic structure. In the context of illustration and not restricting the pawl 2 is attached to a release lever 3. Pulling movements on this release lever 3 in the in Fig. 4 direction shown cause the pawl 2, the catch 1 releases from the main locking position shown here and the rotary latch spring-assisted pivoted counterclockwise, such as an attached to the catch 2 arrow in Fig. 4 additionally makes clear. In this case, the rotary latch 1 moves about its axis 4. The rotary latch 1 and the pawl 2 together with release lever 3 are taken together in an only indicated lock case 5.

In addition to the lock case 5, a lock housing 6 is realized, of which only individual items to be explained in more detail below can be seen in the figures. In fact, belongs to the plastic housing made lock housing 6 an inlet mouth or inlet jaw insert 7, which or a stop damper 8 carries. With the help of the stop damper 8 is the movement of a locking pin 9 when entering the inlet mouth 7 and limited in the catch 1. The inlet mouth 7 and the inlet mouth insert and consequently the lock housing 6 has an integrally formed friction brake device 10, which in the context of the first alternative according to the Fig. 1 to 5 is designed as a spring lip 11. In contrast, the friction brake device 10 within the scope of the invention Fig. 6 to 8 as arranged on the ratchet 1, 2 buffer bag 12 is.

The friction brake device 10 for the ratchet 1, 2 is made flexible and is only shortly before reaching a rigid end impact 13 (see. Fig. 5 and 8th ). Within the scope of the exemplary embodiment and not restricting, the friction brake device 10 begins shortly after the pre-locking position Fig. 3 and ending in the overstroke range according to the Fig. 5 and 8th , In each case, the friction brake device 10 interacts with a cam 14 on the locking mechanism 1, 2. That is, the friction brake device 10 and the cam 14 together form a functional unit 10, 14, which ensures that the retracting into the inlet mouth 7 locking pin 9 and with him the locking mechanism 1, 2 are slowed down on the way to the main locking position.

In contrast, the functional unit 10, 14 or the friction brake device 10 in combination with the cam 14 on the locking mechanism 1, 2 in the overstroke range after the Fig. 5 and 8th not (more) for a significant influence on the movement of the locking bolt 9 and consequently the locking mechanism 1, 2. Rather, in the then achieved overstroke considerable restoring forces are built up by, for example, a circumferential door rubber seal, which ensure that the locking pin 9 and with it the locking mechanism 1, 2 are pushed back into the main latching position. In this case, additional braking forces built up by the friction brake device 10 in conjunction with the cam 14 would rather be a hindrance and, in fact, will not be observed, or only barely observed.

In order to achieve effective noise damping of the entire motor vehicle door closure, the cam 14 is formed noise-damped. In fact, the rotary latch 1 has a plastic casing 15, which also surrounds the cam 14. That is, the cam 14 is pronounced in the production of the plastic sheath 15 in this. In this way, the cam 15 is also automatically made of plastic or has a plastic cover, thus acting between the made of steel rotary latch 1 and the friction brake device 10 as an acoustic end coupling means.

It can be seen that in the context of the embodiment of the Fig. 1 to 5 the cam 14 protrudes with respect to a scythe plane G spanned by the rotary latch 1 in connection with the pawl 2, in the context of the illustration according to FIGS Fig. 1 and 2 In this way the cam 14 comes directly into the sphere of influence of the friction brake device 10 arranged approximately level with the inlet mouth 7 and in this case as the spring lip 11 on the inlet mouth 7. As soon as the rotary catch 1 moves into its closed position, the cam 14 moves increasingly towards the friction brake device 10 or the spring lip 11 and reaches it shortly before the pre-locking position Fig. 3 is taken. As a result, the friction brake device 10 or spring lip 11 is able to transmit mechanical frictional forces to the ratchet 1, 2 and to brake this in its movement.

Due to the eccentric shape of the cam 14 with its rising edge 14a, the friction brake device 10 or spring lip 11 is increasingly deformed, so that increasing restoring forces or braking forces are built up by the friction brake device 10 with increasing closing operation. Just before reaching the main stop after the Fig. 4 and 6 the maximum of the deformation of the friction brake device 10 is achieved, which corresponds to a plateau region 14b of the cam 14.

When the ratchet 1, 2 on the main position after the Fig. 4 and 6 is moved further out, it gets into the overstroke, as he in the Fig. 5 and 8th is shown. This overstroke area belongs to the fact that a falling edge 14c of the cam 14 interacts with the friction brake device 10, so that only slight or no frictional forces are built up. The further movement of the locking mechanism 1, 2 is now limited by the end stop 13. At the same time the friction brake device 10 or spring lip 11 in this position, the cam 14 overlapped (see. Fig. 5 ), so that virtually no braking forces are built up and the locking mechanism 1, 2 can easily return to the main locking position. For this purpose, the friction brake device 10 or spring lip 11 has a two-part contour with contact area 11a and escape area 11b for the cam 14. In fact, in the contact area 11a to the desired interaction between the spring lip 11 and the cam 14, whereas the escape area 11 b the cam 14 of the spring lip 11 quasi separates.

The operation of the alternative non-inventive embodiment of the Fig. 6 to 8 is similar to previously described. The only difference here is that the cam 14 is formed integrally with the friction brake device 10, while in the variant of the Fig. 1 to 5 the friction brake device 10 and the cam 14 have a separate configuration. Incidentally, the former embodiment is based on a housing-side friction brake device 10, while the alternative embodiment according to Fig. 6 to 8 the local friction brake device 10 provides locking side.

In fact, here the friction brake device 10 is designed as a buffer pocket 12, as has already been explained in the introduction. This buffer pocket 12 is composed of a buffer lip 16 and a buffer slot 17, which allows movements of the buffer lip 16. The function of the buffer lip 16 corresponds that of the spring lip 11. The only difference is that the buffer lip 16 integrally has the cam 14, which in turn operates on the buffer lip 16 with the aid of a housing-fixed stop 18.

As soon as the ratchet 1, 2 moves to the pre-locked position, the stop 18 interacts with the cam 14 on the buffer lip 16 and provides for increasing braking forces. As a result, the buffer lip 16 - as previously the spring lip 11 - increasingly deformed. When reaching the main rest position accordingly Fig. 7 has the cam 14 with its plateau 14 b, the stop 18 happens, which corresponds to the previous maximum deformation of the buffer lip 16. Following this, the falling edge 14c of the cam 14 interacts with the stop 18, so that in the following overstroke range corresponding to the Fig. 8 virtually no braking forces are exerted and the catch 1 runs directly against the end stop 13.

It can be seen conclusively that both the end stop 13 and a further open stop 19 each spring pockets 20 and 21 are assigned to prevent a hard hitting the catch 1 in each case. The spring pockets 20, 21 are in turn formed from the plastic sheath 15 and equipped with a slot or gap, which receives deformations of an associated gap lip 21a and 20a, respectively.

Claims (7)

1. Motor vehicle door latch, with at least one locking mechanism (1, 2) fundamentally comprising a catch (1) and a pawl (2), and with a flexible friction brake device (10) for the locking mechanism (1, 2), which only becomes effective during a closure movement of the locking mechanism (1, 2) shortly before attainment of an end stop (13), whereby the locking mechanism (1, 2) demonstrates at least a cam (14), which interacts with the friction brake device (10) during assumption of the closed position, whereby the cam (14) and if applicable the catch (1) are formed in a noise-reduced manner, characterized in that the friction brake device (10) is formed as a spring lip interacting with the catch (1) during its closure movement, whereby the latch housing (6) and the spring lip are made of plastic.
2. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, characterized in that the cam (14) is arranged on the catch (1).
3. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cam (14) is part of a plastic sheathing (15) of the catch (1).
4. Motor vehicle door latch according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cam (14) and the friction brake device (10) are separate or formed as a single component.
5. Motor vehicle door latch according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the friction brake device (10) is arranged on the latch housing.
6. Motor vehicle door latch according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the friction brake device (10) is executed as a spring lip (11) interacting with the catch (1) during its closure movement.
7. Motor vehicle door latch according to claim 6, characterized in that the spring lip (11) demonstrates a contact area (11 a) and a deflection area (11 b) and the cam (14) overlaps in the closed position of the locking mechanism (1, 2).

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