EP2313583B1 - Drive unit comprising a blocked functional element for a central locking mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A drive unit (1) is disclosed which comprises at least one electric driving motor (2) that moves a functional element (3). Said functional element (3) has a stop position (4) for switching off the electric driving motor (2) during the movement, and a frictional support (6) for the functional element (3) is provided in at least one section (5) of the movement before the stop position (4) is reached. A motor vehicle lock (10) comprising a central locking mechanism (11) that has such a drive unit (1) is also disclosed.

Description

The invention relates to a drive unit, comprising at least one electric drive motor, which moves a functional element, wherein the functional element during movement has a stop position for switching off the electric drive motor.

The invention finds particular application in a motor vehicle door lock, wherein the drive unit is part of a central locking system, for example. Thus, a motor vehicle door lock can be designed with a central locking system with an electronic control unit. In this case, the locking lever is designed as a central locking lever. Its usual mode of operation is such that, when the locking lever is in the locking position, the actuation of the (outer) actuating lever corresponds to an idle stroke. A corresponding explanation can be found for example in the EP 1 101 890 A2 , The disclosure is fully incorporated herein by reference.

Especially in such electromotive drive units, a rotating element, for example in the manner of a gear, is moved as a functional element. The functional element is regularly not self-inhibited, but runs unchecked on an axis. For example, levers are actuated via the functional element, these latching positions occupying. Now it is possible to couple the operation of the electric drive motor with the movement of the functional element. In particular, it is possible that the electric drive motor shuts off as soon as the self-induced Movement of the functional element is no longer possible, for example because this has reached a predetermined locking position (so-called block operation).

In such drive units, however, it should be noted that this mode of operation occasionally has an increased stress on the drive motor result, in addition, noise may occur. In addition, due to various tolerances in a motor vehicle lock, it may also be difficult to unambiguously determine the interaction of the components in their positions and / or to maintain them during operation of the motor vehicle.

On this basis, it is an object of the present invention, at least partially solve the problems described with reference to the prior art.

This object is achieved with a drive unit according to the features of claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments are given in the dependent formulated claims. It should be noted that the features listed individually in the claims can be combined with each other in any technologically meaningful manner and show further embodiments of the invention. The description, in particular in conjunction with the figures, indicates further embodiments of the invention.

The drive unit according to the invention has at least one electric drive motor which moves a functional element, wherein the functional element during movement has a stop position for switching off the electric drive motor and at least in a movement section before reaching the stop position, a friction system for the functional element is provided, wherein the friction coefficient between the friction system and the functional element in which at least one movement section can not be overcome by the forces regularly acting on the functional element when the drive motor is switched off.

Ie. In other words, that before reaching, during the stop position and / or after leaving the stop position, a frictional force acting on the functional element, so that the (free) movement is slowed down or impeded in this movement section. In principle, it is possible that the frictional force generated thereby during the contact is constant, but this is not absolutely necessary. As already explained, it may occur in such drive units that after reaching the stop position, the functional element moves back due to the "lack of engine power" again partially. This is not desirable. Therefore, here the friction system is provided, which hinders (only) this return movement. That is, for example, that the coefficient of friction is tuned so that the functional element, when actively driven by the drive unit (electromotive), sweeps over the friction device without significantly affecting the movement, but significantly restricts the return movement when there are no (electromotive) drive forces issue.

Moreover, it is considered advantageous if the functional element is a rotary component. The rotary component is in particular a driven toothed or worm wheel, so that a corresponding engagement mechanism is provided in the circumferential direction.

Furthermore, it is envisaged that the friction system is positioned on a side surface of the rotary member. The two side surfaces can be used in this context, z. B. other levers to move, for example, the Zentralverriegefungshebel. On preferably the opposite side surface, the rotary member may now have a shape or surface which is suitable to come into contact with the external friction system. It is preferred that the functional element and the friction system are made of plastic.

For example, it is also proposed that the friction system is formed with a lateral projection of the functional element. This means in particular that a projecting region of the functional element is formed, which can cooperate with the external friction system. The friction system can also be designed as a separate component and / or as part of the housing provided there in the manner of a projection or of a protruding molding element.

In this case, the lateral projection of the rotary element is preferably an element from the following group: rib, cam, link, bridge with return. The rib can be straight and / or curved. The cam can in particular form a spherical contact surface for the friction system. Even a backdrop offers a complex contact surface for the friction, so possibly also different frictional forces are achieved when contact of the projection with the friction. In addition, webs may be provided with recesses, wherein, for example, such a recess represents the receptacle or a guide groove for the friction system. In ribs, cams, scenes and the like is to be assumed regularly that only a common friction surface is formed. However, in the case of a web with a return it is also possible for the functional element to be contacted over two sides with the friction system.

An alternative to this provides that a friction system is positioned below and / or above the rotary member and there can act in the immediate vicinity with frictional force on the functional element to decelerate or block its movement.

In particular, in an expedient embodiment of the invention, it is envisaged that a resiliently designed component, in particular a spring washer, which is arranged below the rotary component, serves as a friction system. It is envisaged to operate the drive system with permanently increased by the spring-trained component increased friction. When switching off the drive has this by the increased friction a relatively high self-locking just in the opposite direction, whereby a return is already difficult. Even in the normal flow, the drive system must therefore act against a certain frictional force, which then comes to particular advantage, as soon as the drive is turned off without the need for additional components or facilities.

A particular embodiment of the invention provides that the drive unit is equipped with two separately formed friction systems. Depending on the type of functional element and / or the movement, this may be the case in order to keep the return movement as small as possible (in the case of several, different holding positions) or to ensure the function of two friction systems independently or in addition to one another. It may be both the same type of friction, about a kind of two-piece friction above and below the rotary member or two complementary in their function friction systems of different types.

Such a sole or possibly additional solution provides, for example, that the friction system is integrated in the housing of the drive unit. This eliminates the arrangement of an additional special aggregate by making use of the geometry of the housing and / or by arranging additional internals in the form of friction brakes the intended effect to restrict or prevent the return movement allows.

Specifically, it is thought to integrate the friction system in the lid and / or the bottom of the housing. For this purpose, located in the region of the lid and / or bottom of the housing an increase or a special installation in order to prevent by appropriate frictional force the return of the drive can. So thought is on both single-part and multi-part housing cover or floors.

• Schloss-Anordnung umfassend ein Gesperre mit zumindest einer Drehfalle und
• zumindest einer Sperrklinke, die die Drehfalle in der geschlossenen Position bewegungsblockiert ist, wobei die zumindest eine Sperrklinke motorisch (mittels eines Elektromotors und ggf. über ein Funktionselement) betätigbar ist,
• insbesondere um von der Drehfalle entfernt zu werden.

It is also proposed a method for triggering an opening mechanism of a ratchet member of a motor vehicle lock, in which a drive unit according to the invention is applied. This Gesperrebauteile be used in particular for securing vehicle doors and / or vehicle doors in defined closed positions. The opening mechanism of the ratchet member is initiated by the functional element of the drive unit, for example, a pawl of the Gesperrebauteils pivoted from a locked position. In this case, the functional element can pivot the pawl either via an interposed mechanism or by direct contact. Furthermore, also according to the invention, the functional element itself is to be designed as a pawl. In addition, it should be noted that this method can also be used independently of the above specific embodiment of the drive unit, so the electromechanical actuation of the pawl can be advantageous as such. This can be realized in particular with the following device:

• Lock arrangement comprising a locking mechanism with at least one rotary latch and
• at least one pawl, which is blockage-locked in the closed position, wherein the at least one pawl is actuated by a motor (by means of an electric motor and optionally via a functional element),
• especially to be removed from the catch.

In particular embodiments of the invention, it is envisaged that the motor vehicle lock is designed as a lock to be opened electrically and / or that the motor vehicle lock is designed as a side door lock.

The invention is characterized in particular by the fact that a drive unit with a functional element is created, to which one or more friction systems are assigned in such a way that reliably and reliably a return of the drive unit after its shutdown can be prevented or eliminated. Instead, depending on the setting of the friction system, the return movement is prevented or even eliminated if necessary, depending on how the friction coefficient of the system is set. It is also conceivable to operate the drive system so that it starts per se against increased friction, so when the drive is turned off, the friction fully engages and it can come to no or a very weak return due to the high self-locking.

Figur 1

ein Detail eines Kraftfahrzeugschlosses mit einer Zentralverriegelungsmechanik,

Figur 2

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung außerhalb der Haltposition,

Figur 3

die Ausführungsvariante aus Figur 2 in der Haltposition,

Figur 4

eine zweite Ausführungsvariante der Erfindung außerhalb der Haltposition,

Figur 5

die Ausführungsvariante aus Figur 6 in der Haltposition,

Figur 6

eine perspektivische Schnittdarstellung einer weiteren Ausführungsvariante der Erfindung in der Haltposition,

Figur 7

ein Detail des Gehäuses aus Figur 6 in Draufsicht,

Figur 8

eine Seitenansicht des Rotationsbauteils aus Figur 6,

Figur 9

ein Kraftfahrzeug mit einer auf eine Sperrklinke eines Kraftfahrzeugschlosses wirkenden Antriebseinheit,

Figur 10

die Ausführungsvariante mit Federscheibe und in das Gehäuse integrierter Reibanlage in Seitenansicht und

Figur 11

eine skizzenhafte Darstellung dazu.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment is shown with the necessary details and items. Show it:

FIG. 1

a detail of a motor vehicle lock with a central locking mechanism,

FIG. 2

a first embodiment of the invention outside the stop position,

FIG. 3

the embodiment variant FIG. 2 in the stop position,

FIG. 4

a second embodiment of the invention outside the stop position,

FIG. 5

the embodiment variant FIG. 6 in the stop position,

FIG. 6

a perspective sectional view of another embodiment of the invention in the stop position,

FIG. 7

a detail of the case FIG. 6 in plan view,

FIG. 8

a side view of the rotary component FIG. 6 .

FIG. 9

a motor vehicle with a drive unit acting on a pawl of a motor vehicle lock,

FIG. 10

the embodiment with spring washer and integrated in the housing friction system in side view and

FIG. 11

a sketchy illustration.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a motor vehicle lock 10 in a housing 12. In this case, a central locking mechanism 11 is shown in detail, which is actuated by a functional element 3. The actuation takes place via an electric drive motor 2, for example, a reversing electric motor with a motor shaft and a worm, which cooperates only with the functional element 3.

In the illustrated here holding position 4, a frictional contact between the functional element 3 and the friction system 6 takes place, wherein the friction system 6 z. B. integrated into the housing 12 and part of this housing 12 is. It can also be seen that the functional element 3 is already in contact with the friction unit 6 is before it has actually reached the stop position 4. After this schematic representation of individual embodiments are now shown.

In the FIGS. 2 and 3 only the drive motor has been omitted, but rather the housing 12, which also forms the friction system 6, is illustrated, together with the functional element configured as a rotary component 7. It is once in FIG. 2 a position of the rotary member 7 shown in which this is not self-locking (unhindered) operable. In this embodiment, the friction system 6 is formed as a straight running, molded-on rib made of plastic. In FIG. 3 can now be recognized that the rotary member 7 has a projection 9 in the manner of a radially formed cam, which comes to avoid reverse movements of the integrally formed in the lock housing rib (friction system 6) to rest. In this way, the stop position 4 is secured when the drive unit 1 is switched off.

The FIGS. 4 and 5 show a further embodiment, in which case a cam-shaped elevation in the axial direction on the back of the rotary member 7 is formed as a projection 9 which impinges on a run-up slope (ramp) as a friction system 6 in the housing 12 and thus when switched off (not supplied with power) drive unit. 1 slowed down and finally blocked motion. Thus, in particular, different frictional forces can be achieved via the progress of movement of the rotary component 7.

The FIGS. 6 . 7 and 8 illustrate yet another embodiment. For this purpose, the rotary member 7 is designed with a projection 9 towards the housing 12, wherein the projection 9 is additionally configured in a kind of spring element of the rotary member 7. The projection 9 protrudes from the side surface 8 of the rotary member 7 and can cooperate with the wedge-shaped projection formed in the housing 12 as a friction system 6. While in the previous embodiments, the contact force was generated tangentially to the circumferential direction of the rotary member, a contact force in the axial direction is realized here.

FIG. 9 schematically shows a motor vehicle 17 with a motor vehicle lock 10. Such a motor vehicle lock 10 regularly has a rotary latch 13, which comprises at least one detent 18. This catch 13 locks in the closed position a striker 14 (also called lock holder), which may be attached, for example, to a vehicle body, not shown here. In this case, the rotary latch 13 is engaged with a pawl 15, which secures the rotary latch 13 to the latch 18 by positive engagement against rotation.

The motor vehicle 17 further comprises an electromotive drive unit 1. The functional element 3 of the drive unit 1 acts here on the pawl 15 of the motor vehicle lock 10 via an indicated pawl mechanism 16. The pawl 15 can thus be moved with the drive unit 1 about an axis of rotation of the pawl 15, whereby, for example, the rotary latch 13 can be unlocked.

FIG. 10 shows a variant of the invention with two friction systems 6, of which a friction system 19 above and a friction system 19 'below the rotary member 7 is arranged. The former is integrated in the cover 21 of the housing 12, here made in one piece with this. The reference numeral 23 denotes the overlap between the rotary member 7 designed as a worm wheel 24 in order to illustrate that corresponding frictional forces can be exerted here. In addition, the friction system 19 'is in the form of the spring washer 20 on the underside 25 of the rotary member 7. The system may be designed so that it must be permanently operated against the conditional by the spring washer friction force, so it at a shutdown of the drive in a particularly suitable way to avoid restoring forces. The spring washer 20 is penetrated by the shaft 26 and supported on the one hand on the rotary member 7 and on the other hand on the bottom 22 of the housing 2 from.

A simplified sketch shows again FIG. 11 with the rotating in the direction 27 worm wheel 24 and the friction system 6, 19 the alone or in addition to the in FIG. 10 shown friction system can be provided to the rotary member 7.

Claims (14)

1. Drive unit (1) comprising at least one electric drive motor (2) moving a function element (3), with the function element (3) containing a stop position (4) during the movement for switching off the electric drive motor (2) and with a friction surface (6) being provided for the function element (3) in at least one section of movement (5) preceding the reaching of the stop position(4), in which the friction coefficient between the friction surface (6) and function element (3) in the at least one section of movement (5) cannot be overcome by the forces regularly acting on the function element (3) when the drive motor (2) is switched off.
2. Drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the function element (3) is a rotating component (7).
3. Drive unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the friction surface (6) is arranged on a side surface (8) of the rotating component (7).
4. Drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the friction surface (6) is formed by a lateral projection (9) of the function element (3).
5. Drive unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, the lateral projection (9) is an element of the following group: rib, cam, crank, stay with recess.
6. Drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, a friction surface (19) is arranged below and/or above the rotating component (7).
7. Drive unit according to claim 6, characterized in that, a spring washer (20) serves as the friction surface (19').
8. Drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the drive unit (2) contains two separately formed friction surfaces (19, 19').
9. Drive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, the friction surface (19, 19') is integrated in the housing (12) of the drive unit (1).
10. Drive unit according to claim 9, characterized in that, a friction surface (19, 19') is integrated in the cover (21) and/or base (22) of the housing (12).
11. Method for actuating an opening mechanism of a locking gear component of a motor vehicle door lock, characterized in that, a drive unit according to any of the above claims acts upon a locking gear component.
12. Motor vehicle door lock (10) comprising a central locking mechanism (11) with a drive unit (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 10.
13. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 12, characterized in that, the motor vehicle door lock (10) is designed as an electrically opening lock.
14. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 12, characterized in that, the motor vehicle door lock is a side door lock.

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