EP2655766B1 - Reinforced motor vehicle lock - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lock, in particular a motor vehicle lock with a lock housing, a lock case, a locking mechanism and an actuating device, wherein at least one component of the actuating device extends through an opening in the lock housing and this opening is formed with at least one reinforcing insert.

A motor vehicle lock serves to close motor vehicle doors, flaps and the like. A motor vehicle lock comprises a locking mechanism with a catch and a pawl for locking. The catch and the pawl are arranged so that they can receive and lock a body-mounted lock holder in the locked position. The pawl has the task of locking the catch in this position.

Rotary latch and pawl are usually rotatably mounted on a basically metal lock case. The lock case often performs other functions and can serve, for example, the attachment of the lock in a vehicle door or vehicle door. In addition, other components or components may be attached to the lock case such as a rotatably mounted blocking lever, which is able to block the pawl in its locked position. Usually, there is also a reinforcing plate, also basically made of metal, which serves to supplement the rotatable attachment of the catch and / or pawl. Rotary latch and pawl are usually located between the lock case and the amplifier plate. Since the reinforcing plate basically only serves the improved attachment of the rotary latch and / or pawl, its base is regularly small compared to the base of the lock box.

Since components of a motor vehicle lock are to be regularly protected from dust and water, a motor vehicle lock basically comprises a lock housing for covering one or more components of the motor vehicle lock. The lock housing is often closed with a lock cover to further improve the desired protection of components. The lock housing and the lock cover are preferably made of plastic for weight reasons.

An actuating device of such a motor vehicle lock is used to open the locking mechanism. Such an actuating device may comprise a Bowden cable. The Bowden cable soul can be passed through an opening in the lock housing, as the document WO 2009/049588 A2 can be seen.

A locking mechanism of a motor vehicle can be exposed to increased forces, in particular in the event of a motor vehicle side impact, for example when an outer door panel is pressed against the housing and causes massive deformation here. In the extreme case, this can lead to a blockage of the locking mechanism, so that an associated motor vehicle door can only be opened with great effort. Therefore, it has been proposed to provide reinforcing elements in the motor vehicle lock to improve the crash safety, z. B, in the form of reinforcing plates connected to the housing. In order to further increase operational safety even in the event of a crash, according to the WO 2009/049588 A2 taught to provide the aforementioned opening in the lock housing additionally with a reinforcing insert and that by a suitable extension of the reinforcing plate.

The publication FR 2 778 198 a motor vehicle lock with a housing, a lock case, a locking mechanism and an actuating device which extends through an opening in the lock housing therethrough. The lock also includes a mounting rail which is connected to the lock case.

The publication WO 2008/104073 A1 discloses another motor vehicle lock having a housing, a lock case, a ratchet and an actuator extending through an opening of the lock.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a reliable motor vehicle lock, which can be produced with low production costs.

To achieve the object, a motor vehicle lock comprises the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the subclaims.

To achieve the object, a motor vehicle lock is provided with a lock housing, a lock case, a locking mechanism and an actuating device, wherein at least one component of the actuating device, in particular a core of a Bowden cable extends through an opening in the lock housing. This opening is provided with a reinforcing insert to ensure good reliability. The reinforcement insert is part of the lock case.

The lock case according to the invention comprises two side walls, which form a right angle with the base of the lock case. The side walls serve u. a. the protection of the locking mechanism attached to the base and, as a rule, the attachment of the lock. The side walls extend to the height of the reinforcing insert. The reinforcing insert is located between two end portions of the side walls. The side walls thus protect the reinforcing insert from undesired external mechanical effects such as impact loads. The operational safety is further improved.

The base of the plate or sheet, from which the lock case is machined, is basically relatively large. Against this background, it has proven to be advantageous to form the reinforcement insert from the lock case, so as to minimize a waste during manufacture or even completely avoided. Reinforcement insert and lock case are thus integrally connected.

In order to work out this lock case from the base of the plate or the sheet, the plate or sheet is first suitably punched, drilled and / or milled. Subsequently, the punched plate or sheet is suitably bent to provide the lock case with the reinforcing insert. The waste resulting from the punching increases at most slightly by the provision of the reinforcing insert.

The reinforcing insert is preferably connected via a web to the base of the lock case. Such a connection between base and reinforcement insert has proven to be sufficiently stable. The reinforcing insert together with the bridge then contributes only slightly to the overall weight of the lock case.

The reinforcing insert is preferably fork-shaped or U-shaped to hang a Bowden cable comfortably.

The lock case including the reinforcement insert is basically made of metal to provide a mechanically stable base for the lock. The lock housing is basically made of plastic to protect against pollution and the like with low weight.

The reinforcing insert is basically in the lock housing or within a double wall of the lock housing and is in particular connected to the lock housing by a snap connection. Externally, the lock resembles a conventional lock and can therefore be handled in the same way as conventional locks.

Preferably, the strength of the lock case is greater than the thickness of a reinforcing plate of the motor vehicle lock. The forces occurring during operation can be so useful mainly absorbed by the lock case. In addition, the opening is advantageously particularly well reinforced and thus achieved a particularly high reliability.

The lock case is therefore preferably made of a 1.5 mm to 3 mm thick, in particular made of steel plate. The reinforcing plate is therefore preferably made of a 0.5 mm to 2 mm thick, in particular made of steel plate. The thickness of the lock case is then 1.5 mm to 3 mm, so for example 2 mm and the thickness of the reinforcing plate 0.5 mm to 2 mm, for example, 1.5 mm.

The reinforcing plate is in particular U-shaped and therefore does not have the from WO 2009/049588 A2 known extension, which serves to reinforce the opening of the lock housing.

Fig. 1:

schematische, Darstellung eines Kraftfahrzeugs mit Tür

Fig. 2

Perspektivischen Darstellung eines Kraftfahrzeugschlosses

Fig. 3:

Ausschnitt eines Kraftfahrzeugschlosses

Fig. 4:

Verstärkungsplatte

Fig. 5:

Schlosskasten

Fig. 6:

Schlosskasten mit Verstärkungsplatte

Fig. 7:

Ausschnitt des Schlosskastens mit Verstärkungseinsatz

The invention defined by the claims and the technical environment will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the figures show, but are not limited to, particularly preferred embodiments of the invention defined by the patent claims. They show schematically:

Fig. 1:

schematic, illustration of a motor vehicle with door

Fig. 2

Perspective view of a motor vehicle lock

3:

Detail of a motor vehicle lock

4:

reinforcing plate

Fig. 5:

lock case

Fig. 6:

Lock case with reinforcement plate

Fig. 7:

Detail of the lock case with reinforcement insert

The FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 14 with a door 15 having a motor vehicle lock 1. As is known, such a motor vehicle lock 1 can be actuated via a door handle 16 on the door 15, wherein an actuation action is transmitted to the locking mechanism 3 via an actuating device 6. The actuating device 6 can basically be designed as a lever. By way of example, a Bowden cable 7 is shown.

The actuating device 6 extends into an interior 19 of the indicated lock housing 2. There, the locking mechanism 3 is arranged, which has a rotary latch 4 and a pawl 5. In the position shown, the catch 4 receives a body-side fastened lock holder 17 and is blocked by the locking pawl 5 by latching movement. With the help of the Bowden cable 7, an opening movement of the door handle 16 can be transmitted to the pawl 5, that the pawl is pivoted out of the detent position shown.

The Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a motor vehicle lock 1, in which case the encapsulated lock housing 2 can be seen. In the lower left area of the motor vehicle lock 1, an indicated opening 8 is provided, in which a Bowden cable 7 is guided or fixed via a bearing 32. The opening 8 is inserted in a part of the lock housing 2 made of plastic. The bearing 32 is inserted into the U- or omega-shaped opening 8, wherein there provided a reinforcing insert 9 (see, in particular FIG. 6 ) ensures the fixation of the bearing 32 even at high forces. The reinforcing insert 9 is in the FIG. 2 not shown for reasons of clarity. The ua in the FIG. 6 shown reinforcing insert 9 is about a in the FIG. 6 shown web 10 integrally connected to the lock case 33 and worked out of an approximately 2 mm thick plate or produced by bending and cutting, milling and / or drilling. An approx. 1.5 mm thick, made of steel reinforcing plate 18 is located above the lock box made of steel 33 and is partially stored in this embodiment on the side surface 11 of the lock box 33. Protruding teeth of the side wall 11 engage in the in the FIG. 2 shown embodiment through openings in the reinforcing plate 18 therethrough. This helps to fix the reinforcing plate 18, which, however, therefore protrudes from the side wall 11. The Bowden cable 7 extends above the reinforcing plate 18. The two legs of the U-shaped reinforcing plate 18 extend parallel to the base of the lock box 33, which forms a right angle with the lock box side surface 11.

The Fig. 3 shows in perspective from another viewing direction fragmentary the Bowden cable 7 of the actuator, which is passed through the aforementioned opening of the lock housing 2, which passes through two walls or double wall 12 of the lock housing 2 and a double wall 12 therethrough. In normal operation, the Bowden cable soul is moved in the direction of extension back and forth and acted upon by a corresponding force. This can now lead to the fact that the opening is subjected to particularly high forces, in particular either due to a high continuous load and / or an excessively high force. In order to ensure a permanent and localized fixation in the lock housing 2 here, the reinforcing insert 9 is provided in the region of the opening with the adjacent wall regions 12, which essentially forms a same opening or receptacle for the Bowden cable 7. In order to realize a stable bond between the lock housing 2 and reinforcing insert 9 during operation, the reinforcing insert 9 is located between the two walls 12 of the lock housing 2. The reinforcing insert 9 is held by the two walls 12 preferably in latched form. The reinforcing insert 9 extends downward in the direction of, for example, in FIG FIG. 5 shown web 10 and is integrally connected thereto.

In the FIG. 4 A preferred embodiment of a 1, 5 mm thick, preferably made of steel or another metal, U-shaped reinforcing plate 18 is shown with legs 28. Laterally projecting pins 20 serve to hook into a side wall 11 of a lock case 33, so as to avoid a lateral projection of the reinforcing plate. A bore 22 in a leg 28 of the U-shape serves to receive the axis of rotation of the rotary latch. The bore preferably has a relatively large diameter, since the diameter of the rotary latch axis is usually relatively large. Another bore 24 in the other leg 28 of the U-shape serves to receive the axis of rotation of the pawl. The bore 24 preferably has a comparatively small diameter, since the diameter of the pawl axis is usually relatively small.

In the FIG. 5 a lock case 33 is shown having a base 27 with the side wall 11. In the side wall 11, there are two recesses 21 for receiving the in the FIG. 4 shown pin 20 of the reinforcing plate 18. The bore 23 in the base 27 has a relatively large diameter and serves for the rotatable mounting of the rotary latch axis. A bore 30 in a further side wall 31 of the lock case 13 can serve for fastening the motor vehicle lock to a door or flap or for other fastening purposes. In the base 27, there are a plurality of passages 29, preferably with internal thread, which serve to attach the motor vehicle lock to a door or flap. There is an inlet slot 26 for the lock holder, which extends from the base 27 into the further side wall 31. A web 10 connects the base 27 with the reinforcing insert 9. The side wall 11 has an elevation 34, which, viewed from the base 27, is just as high as the reinforcing insert 9. This end region with the elevation 34 has such a course that this the course of web 10 and reinforcing insert 9 is equal. The reinforcing insert 9 is thus protected by the side wall 11, and in particular by the region of the side wall with the elevation 34. The reinforcing insert 9 is located between two end regions of the two side walls 11 and 31.

In the FIG. 6 It is shown how the reinforcing plate 18 is held in the side wall 11 of the lock box 33 and the extension of the legs 28 parallel to the base 27. Visible is also still a bore 25 which serves to rotatably support the axis of rotation of the pawl. That in the FIG. 6 not shown ratchet is located between the base 27 of the lock case and the reinforcing plate 18th

In the FIG. 7 For example, the reinforcing insert 9 is enlarged from a different perspective (shown in the detail of the lock box 33). Based on FIG. 7 It becomes clear how a sheet has to be punched out and bent in order, among other things, to work out the reinforcement insert 9 together with the web 10 from the sheet metal.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Motor vehicle lock

2

lock housing

3

ratchet

4

catch

5

pawl

6

actuator

7

Bowden

8th

opening

9

reinforcement insert

10

Footbridge of the lock case

11

Lock box side wall

12

double wall

13

lock case

14

motor vehicle

15

door

16

door handle

17

Castle holder

18

reinforcing plate

19

inner space

19

Legs of the U-shaped reinforcing plate

20

Projections or pins of the reinforcing plate

21

Recesses in the side wall of the lock case

22

Opening for rotatable mounting of the rotary latch axis

23

Opening for rotatable mounting of the rotary latch axis

24

Opening for rotatably supporting the pawl axle

25

Opening for rotatably supporting the pawl axle

26

Inlet slot of the lock case

27

Base of the lock case

28

Legs of the reinforcing plate

29

Opening with internal thread

30

drilling

31

Side wall

32

storage

33

lock case

34

Sidewall increase

Claims (9)

1. A lock, in particular a motor vehicle lock comprising a lock housing (2), a lock case (33), a locking mechanism (3) and an actuation device (6), wherein at least one component (7) of the actuation device extends through an opening (8) in the lock case (2) and this opening (8) is designed with at least one reinforcing insert (9), characterized in that the reinforcing insert (9) is part of the lock case (33) and formed by this one, the lock case (33) comprises two side walls (11, 31) which form a right angle with a base area (27) of the lock case (33) and which extend towards the reinforcing insert (9) such that the reinforcing insert (9) is placed between two end portions of the side walls (11, 31).
2. A lock according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a side wall (11) that is adjacent to the reinforcing insert (9) comprises an elevation (34) which is, when seen from the base area (27) of the lock case (33), at least as high as the reinforcing insert (9).
3. A lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing insert (9) is connected to the base area (27) of the lock case (33) by means of a web (10).
4. A lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing insert (9) is fork-shaped or U-shaped.
5. A lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lock case (33) including the reinforcing insert (9) is made of metal and/or the lock housing (2) is made of plastic.
6. A lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing insert (9) is placed in the lock housing (2) or within a double wall (12) of the lock housing (2) and is in particular connected to the lock housing (2) by means of a snap-in connection.
7. A lock according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a reinforcing plate (18) for a rotatable fastening of the rotary latch (4) and/or the pawl (5) of the locking mechanism (3), wherein the thickness of the reinforcing plate (18) is smaller than the thickness of the lock case (33) and/or the reinforcing plate (18) is U-shaped.
8. A lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the component of the actuation device is a Bowden cable (7).
9. A lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lock case (33) is provided with one or more threads (29) and/or one or more bores (30) for being fastened in a door (15) or a flap.

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