EP2499312B1 - Motor vehicle door latch - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock, with a locking mechanism, further comprising at least one locking lever which assumes at least two different functional positions, for example "unlocked" and "locked", and with at least one stop defining the respective functional position.

Such a motor vehicle door lock is exemplified in the DE 102 26 355 B3 described. The aforementioned prior publication deals with an actuating device, in particular for a vehicle door lock. This has an adjusting lever, which can be qualified as a locking lever. Because with its help, for example, a locking mechanism can be realized. The adjustment lever has two end positions, which are defined by stops. These two end positions correspond to the position "unlocked" or "locked". This has proven itself in principle.

Quite independently, it is known in a motor vehicle door lock to provide a damper element in the inlet mouth for cooperating with the rotary latch bolt. According to the known teaching, the damper element simultaneously acts as a damper for the rotary latch (see. DE 103 20 457 A1 ).

The damper element for the locking bolt ensures that the locking bolt retracting into the inlet jaw and held fast by the rotary latch or a locking mechanism composed of a catch and a pawl is fixed in this position in a noise-reducing manner. At the same time, the known damper element according to DE 103 20 457 A1 sure that the rotary catch positioned in the open position acoustically decouples from a compulsory housing becomes. As a result, rattling noises can not occur. Also from the JP 2000 352248 A goes out such a damping element in the region of the inlet mouth.

Comparably ensure the two end stops in the context of DE 102 26 355 B3 that the locking lever or the known adjusting lever is properly fixed in its two end positions. The prior art has proven itself in this context, but so far provides no convincing solution for the locking lever.

In fact, the locking lever is usually not fixed to end stops and positioned with their help. This can essentially be attributed to the fact that the locking lever in its "unlocked" or "locked" position is mostly held in place by an associated locking lever chain and / or a locking drive. As a result, additional attacks are considered unnecessary. However, such attacks are then required and recommended when game is recorded in the lock lever chain and / or the locking drive. This can then lead to rattling noises inside the castle. In addition, the "unlocked" and "locked" positions are typically queried by switches or similar sensors. For their perfect position query, it is essential that the functional positions in question are properly taken.

The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing a motor vehicle door lock of the design described at the beginning in such a way that the noise behavior is improved and the two different functional positions of the locking lever are perfectly and reproducibly adopted.

To solve this technical problem, a generic motor vehicle door lock in the invention is characterized in that the stops are formed on a rubber-elastic buffer, which is supported on a housing. The design will generally be such that the rubber-elastic buffer in question acts not only as a respective stop buffer for the locking lever, but at the same time as an inlet buffer for a locking pin. That is, the buffer defines on the one hand the two functional positions (or even more functional positions) of the locking lever in the sense of a stop buffer. On the other hand, the buffer also takes over the function of the inlet buffer for the locking pin.

As a result, according to the invention, the two (or even more) different functional positions of the locking lever, namely "unlocked" and "locked", are defined and at the same time ensured that the locking lever experiences a damped end stop in the two functional positions in question. As a result, the locking lever takes the questionable functional position properly and is also damped in the relevant functional position with regard to any movements. Rattling noises can therefore not occur. At the same time, it is ensured that the two functional positions, for example "unlocked" and "locked", can be queried correctly and taken (sensory) and taken. Here are the main benefits.

According to the invention, the described buffer is received in a pocket in or on the housing. The housing is usually the lock housing, which is generally made of plastic. The housing can be made in several parts and equipped with a partition. In this case, the bag is attached to the partition wall or stands on the partition wall. That is, the bag is formed in or on a housing wall, in particular the partition wall.

For this purpose, the pocket has at least one rib wall, against which the buffer rests on the back. Basically, the rib wall can completely enclose the buffer. In general, however, it is sufficient if the rib wall only partially provides for a support of the buffer, namely on its back. It has proven itself in principle, if both the rib wall and the buffer are designed substantially L-shaped. The L-shaped rib wall supports the L-shaped buffer on its rear side. This is necessary because the buffer is exposed to front loads, such as those associated with the retraction and the system of the locking bolt. Other loads on the buffer can be attributed to the taking of the two functional positions by the locking lever.

To achieve this in detail, the locking lever usually slides with a pin along the buffer. Most often, the pin slides on a locking leg of the buffer between the two functional positions "unlocked" and "locked" along. In contrast, the other locking pin leg of the buffer represents the Endanschlagpuffer or inlet buffer for the locking pin. That is, the locking leg of the buffer assumes the function of the stop buffer, whereas the locking pin legs of the buffer takes over the function of Endanschlagpuffers or inlet buffers for the locking pin.

For fastening the buffer in or on the housing or within the pocket on the partition wall, the locking bolt leg of the buffer has at least one fastening means. This fastener generally interacts with a mating fastener on the housing or bulkhead. The fastener is generally a bore, in which a pin as a counter-fastening means more or less dips positively. In this way, the buffer is properly kept in the pocket and in abutment against the partition wall or generally the housing wall. As a result, the buffer experiences a perfect support against the housing. This is primarily due to the rib wall of the bag. In addition, the pin on the locking lever is at least in the positions "unlocked" and "locked" in contact with the buffer. In most cases, even a constant contact of the pin on the locking lever is ensured with the buffer.

Because the buffer generally has a ramp in the region of the locking leg or in the area of the associated "unlocked" position of the locking lever. Furthermore, a receiving recess in the buffer is realized in the area of the associated position "locked" of the locking lever in the buffer. The design of the ramp in the area of the associated position "unlocked" of the locking lever is designed so that the pin slides on the locking lever during the transition from the position "unlocked" in the "locked" position on the other hand, rising ramp along.

In this way, when transitioning from the unlocked position to the locked position, the pin will cause the buffer to experience increasing compression. As a result, the pin is also increasingly braked. The same applies to the locking lever. Only when the locking lever has taken its other end position "locked", ensures the realized at this point receiving recess of the buffer that the previously built up by the buffer counterforce on the pin and thus the locking lever (again) decreases. In any case, the locking lever in the "locked" position undergoes a uniform fixation by the pin engages the locking lever in the receiving recess in the region of the position in question -.

In order to provide a particularly compact construction, the buffer is generally arranged in a top view below the locking lever. Since the dividing wall of the housing is normally also located below the locking lever in a plan view, it can be seen that the buffer rests on the dividing wall in question or can even pass through or pass through this dividing wall. Because usually the buffer is arranged in the inlet region of the locking mechanism or of the associated locking bolt or is located at the end of an associated inlet mouth - at least as far as its locking bolt leg is concerned. Because this lock pin legs known to act as Endanschlagpuffer or inlet buffer for the locking pin.

In addition, the buffer may - if required - be equipped with one or more buffer pockets. These buffer bags are preferably located in the region of the two functional positions, on the one hand "unlocked" and on the other hand "locked" of the locking lever. In general, the buffer bag can be realized so that the buffer with corresponding recesses, such as rectangular recesses, is equipped. If the buffer undergoes compression in the region of these buffer pockets by, for example, the retracted locking bolt, the material of the buffer displaced by the locking bolt can escape into the buffer pocket and a particularly elastic damping is achieved. Here are the main benefits.

Fig. 1

den erfindungsgemäßen Kraftfahrzeugtürverschluss in einer Frontansicht,

Fig. 2

den Gegenstand nach Fig. 1 in Rückansicht,

Fig. 3

den Kraftfahrzeugtürverschluss nach Fig. 1, reduziert auf die für die Erfindung wesentlichen Bestandteile und

Fig. 4

einen vergrößerten Ausschnitt aus Fig. 1.

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

the motor vehicle door lock according to the invention in a front view,

Fig. 2

the object after Fig. 1 in rear view,

Fig. 3

the motor vehicle door lock after Fig. 1 , reduced to the essential components of the invention and

Fig. 4

an enlarged section Fig. 1 ,

In the figures, a motor vehicle door closure is dargstellt, which initially has a housing 1, 2 with partition 2. In the housing 1, 2 become in the rear view after Fig. 2 shown locking mechanism 3, 4, and a locking lever 5, a clutch lever 6 and an actuating lever 7 according to the front view Fig. 1 added. In addition, it can be seen an inner locking lever 8 and an outer locking lever 9. For further construction still includes a drive unit 10, 11, 12th

The drive unit 10, 11, 12 is composed of a motor or electric motor 10, an output worm 11 and a worm wheel 12, which operates on the locking lever 5 and this motor in at least the positions "unlocked" and "locked" transferred. Similarly, the inside lock lever 8 and the outside lock lever 9 are able to transfer the lock lever 5 to the positions in question "unlocked" and "locked", respectively.

In the illustration after Fig. 1 is the locking lever 5 in the "unlocked" position. In order to transfer the locking lever 5 in its "locked" position, the locking lever 5 must be pivoted about its associated axis of rotation 13 in the counterclockwise direction, as an associated arrow in the Fig. 1 suggests. This is accomplished either by the electric motor 10 is acted upon accordingly, so that with the help of the worm wheel 12 of the locking lever 5 by the realized at this point and interlocking gears a corresponding application in the Counterclockwise around the axis of rotation 13 learns. Or it is also possible that the inner locking lever 8 in the in Fig. 1 indicated arrow direction is acted upon. As a result, the inner locking lever 8 pivots about its axis of rotation 14, which opens again in a counterclockwise movement of the locking lever 5. For the inner locking lever 8 engages with a pin 15 in a mounted on or on the locking lever 5 pin receptacle 16 a.

This ends in the Fig. 1 indicated actuation of the inner locking lever 8 in the arrow direction in a rectified movement of the pin 15, which follows the hereby interacting pin receptacle 16. In any case, in this case the locking lever 5 is pivoted counterclockwise and transferred from its formerly assumed position "unlocked" in the position "locked". For this purpose, the inner locking lever 8 may be equipped and connected with an inner locking button, not shown, similar to that in the DE 39 08 183 A1 is shown in detail. In a comparable manner, the locking lever 5 can be pivoted by means of the outer locking lever 9. For this, the outer locking lever 9 likes a movement in the Fig. 1 experienced indicated arrow direction. The outer locking lever 9 is connected, for example, with a lock cylinder. As soon as a key is inserted into the lock cylinder and turned in the direction of locking, a movement associated therewith ensures that the outside lock lever 9 is pivoted in the direction of the arrow about the pivot axis 13 common to the lock lever 5 and acts on the lock lever 5 in the counterclockwise direction.

In addition to the locking lever 5 or locking main lever 5, not only the outer locking lever 9 is mounted on the rotation axis 13, but also a catch 3 of the locking mechanism 3, 4. Actually, the locking mechanism 3, 4 is on the one hand the catch 3 and on the other hand the catch 3 interacting and incident in the closed rotary latch 3 pawl 4 conventional design together. It can be seen that the locking mechanism 3, 4 on the one hand and the locking lever or locking lever 6 and a trigger lever 7 on the other hand are received in the housing 1, but on opposite sides with respect to the partition wall 2 arranged therebetween.

By this arrangement, the locking lever 5 and the clutch lever 6 and the actuating lever 7 on the one hand in a plane below the partition wall 2 with respect to Fig. 2 and consequently are arranged below the locking mechanism 3, 4 as well as an arrangement is conceivable in which the locking lever 5, the clutch lever 6 and also the operating lever 7 are placed above the locking mechanism 3, 4. As a result, door locks of different types, such as a so-called left lock and a so-called right lock while maintaining the basic construction can be realized.

Related to the Fig. 3 and 4 now the specifics of the aforementioned motor vehicle door lock will be explained in detail. For the at least two different functional positions of the locking lever 5, namely "unlocked" and "locked" are assigned stops 17, 18. In this case, the stop 17 corresponds to the "unlocked" position of the locking lever 5, whereas the stop 18 belongs to the "locked" position of the locking lever 5. In addition, another stop 19 is provided which serves as an end stop for a merely in the Fig. 2 Lock bolt 20 shown acts.

On the basis of a comparative analysis of the Fig. 3 and 4 it can be seen that all the stops 17, 18 and 19 are formed on a rubber-elastic buffer 21, which on the housing 1, 2 and the partition wall. 2 supported. The buffer 21 is not only used to "unlock" the two functional positions according to Fig. 1 and "locks" the locking lever 5 in the sense of a stop buffer to define, but also acts as an inlet buffer for the locking pin 20. This ensures the stop 19 for the locking pin in question 20. For this purpose, the buffer 21 in a pocket 22 in the housing 1, 2 or received on the partition wall 2.

The pocket 22 is formed on a housing wall, in the present case the partition 2. For this purpose, the bag 22 has at least one rib wall 23, against which the buffer 21 rests on the back. The rib wall 23 is perpendicular to the partition wall 2. The buffer 21 is made of a rubber-elastic plastic, an elastomer.

In particular, based on the Fig. 3 recognizes that the buffer 21 is designed substantially L-shaped. In fact, the buffer 21 has a locking leg 21a and a locking pin leg 21b. Since the L-shaped buffer 21 rests against the back of the rib wall 23, and the rib wall 23 is designed substantially L-shaped. In fact, the rib wall 23 has an associated locking wall leg 23a for the locking leg 21a of the buffer 21 and a locking pin wall leg 23b for the locking pin leg 21b of the buffer 21. On the other hand, the front side of the buffer 21 does not receive any support, but on the one hand in the form of the stop 19 with the locking pin 20 interact and on the other hand with a pin 24 which extends below the locking lever 5 in the direction of the buffer 21.

In fact, the locking lever 5 slides with the said pin 24 on the locking leg 21a of the buffer 21 between the two functional positions "unlocked" and "locked" along. In the Fig. 1 . 3 and 4 is the locking lever 5 in its "unlocked" position. To If the locking lever 5, however, pivoted into its "locked" position, the pin in question 24 immersed in a receiving recess 25 on the locking leg 21a of the buffer 21 a. This includes the dashed line of the pin 24 below the in Fig. 3 only indicated locking lever. 5

Based on the representation after Fig. 3 It is also clear that the buffer 21 is arranged in a plan view of the locking lever 5 below the locking lever 5. In addition, the buffer 21 has at least one fastening means 26 which cooperates with a counter-fastening means 27 on or in the housing 1, 2 respectively on the partition wall 2. The fastening means 26 is an opening in the buffer 21 into which a pin 27, more or less positively, is inserted as a counter-fastening means. The pin or the counter-fastening means 27 rests on the partition wall 2 or is integrally formed thereon. The fastening means 26 is located on the locking pin leg 21 of the buffer 21 and interacts in the manner described with the counter-fastening means 27 on the housing 1 and on the partition wall 2, respectively.

In a comparative consideration of the two end positions of the pin 24, which in the Fig. 3 on the one hand drawn through the position "unlocked" and on the other hand dashed lines for the position "locked" are shown, it can be seen that the buffer 21 is equipped with a ramp 28. This ramp 28 increases in the transition from the position "unlocked" to the position "locked". In this way, the associated locking leg 21a of the buffer 21 or the buffer 21 as a whole is increasingly compressed by the pin 24 when the locking lever 5 passes from its "unlocked" position to the "locked" position. The ramp in question 28 passes at its end in the - receiving recess 25, in which the pin 24 on the locking lever. 5 engages when the locking lever 5 and the associated pin 24 is "locked" in the position shown in dashed lines.

Additional and non-illustrated buffer pockets in or on the buffer 21 may provide further damping. It has proven useful if the buffer bags in question in the two functional positions "unlocked" and "locked" and realized in the area of the stop 19. Of course, the opening 26 can basically take over the function of a buffer bag. Finally, it is still important that the buffer 21 passes through the partition wall 2, so that the buffer 21 partially in the Fig. 2 can be seen there or its locking bolt leg 21b can interact with the engaging in the locking mechanism 3, 4 locking pin 20. Because the locking pin leg 21b carries the stop 19, on which the locking pin 20 bends in its retracted into the inlet mouth end position.

Claims (9)

1. Motor vehicle door latch with a locking mechanism (3, 4), furthermore with at least one bolting lever (5), which assumes at least two different functional positions, for example "unbolted" and "bolted", and with at least one stop (17, 18) defining the respective functional position, wherein the stop (17, 18) is formed on a rubber elastic buffer (21) which is braced on a housing (1, 2), wherein the buffer (21) not only defines the two functional positions "unbolted" and "bolted" of the bolting lever (5), but simultaneously functions as an inlet buffer for a locking bolt (20) characterized in that the buffer (21) is accommodated in a pocket (22) in the housing (1, 2).
2. Motor vehicle door latch according to claim 1, characterized in that the pocket (22) is formed in or on a housing wall (2), in particular a separating wall (2).
3. Motor vehicle door latch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pocket (22) has at least one rib wall (23), on which the buffer (21) lies adjacent on the reverse.
4. Motor vehicle door latch according to claim 3, characterized in that the rib wall (23) and also the buffer (21) are fundamentally L-shaped.
5. Motor vehicle door latch according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bolting lever (5) glides along with a pin (24) on a bolting leg (21a) of the buffer (21) between the two functional positions "unbolted" and "bolted" while the other locking bolt leg (21b) of the buffer (21) constitutes the inlet buffer for the locking bolt (20).
6. Motor vehicle door latch according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the buffer (21) has an attachment means (26) to interact with a counter attachment means (27) on the housing (1, 2).
7. Motor vehicle door latch according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the buffer (21) is arranged, in a top view, below the bolting lever (5).
8. Motor vehicle door latch according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the buffer (21) has one or several buffer pockets, preferably in the area of the two functional positions.
9. Motor vehicle door latch according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the buffer (21) is equipped with a ramp (28) in the area of the pertaining "unbolted" position of the bolting lever (5) and an accommodation indentation (25) in the area of the pertaining "bolted" position of the bolting lever (5).

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