EP3140480B1 - Lock assembly of a body element of a vehicle body to be opened, having a lock case - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a lock arrangement of an openable body element of a vehicle body, in particular a front flap, with a lockable on the vehicle body lock box with a first closing means and an attachable to the body member second closing means, wherein the lock case on the vehicle body is movably halterbar and on the lock box a Support is provided, by means of which when closing the lock assembly of the lock case on the vehicle body of the body member is movable. Furthermore, the invention relates to a use of such a lock arrangement on a motor vehicle. Moreover, the invention relates to a vehicle body with such a lock assembly.

Locking arrangements or locks of the generic type are used in vehicle construction, for example, to close a hinged front flap of a vehicle and secure against unintentional opening.

The respective closing arrangement is arranged under the front flap and holds it by means of a striker to the vehicle body, which is held on a lock case by means of, for example, a closing hook or a rotary latch. If the closing arrangement is closed, then the closing hook encloses the striker and this is held in a narrowly limited area. This range is determined by those positional deviations, which have the striker, the lock case and the locking hook due to the unavoidable tolerances of the installed elements.

In such locking arrangements, the striker must, so that the lock hook can safely fall, about 1.0 to 1.5 mm deeper into the lock box, than in its subsequent, swung-out end position. This results in particular in a front flap when closing a flap shelter against the end position, which is also referred to as a design situation or as a customer-relevant situation.

In modern vehicles, the position of the closing arrangements in the front area moves further and further from the front flap leading edge to the rear. The installation space required for headlamps and radiators and, above all, increased accident protection necessitate these adjustments. For accident prevention, increased demands are placed on accident safety and, in particular, on the protection of persons involved in an accident. The front-end range of modern vehicles is therefore targeted "soft" designed.

In the case of a swinging closing of a front flap, it could possibly be due to an elastic deformation of the front flap to damage components such as headlights or air intake grids.

Furthermore, the shows DE 10141628 A1 a generic lock arrangement. Another similar lock arrangement is from the AT 008469 U1 known. According to the invention, a lock arrangement of an openable body element of a vehicle body is provided, in particular a front flap, with a lockable to the vehicle body lock box with a first closing means and an attachable to the body member second closing means. The lock case is movably mountable on the vehicle body and a support is provided on the lock case, by means of which the lock case on the vehicle body can be moved by the body element when the lock assembly is closed, characterized in that the support acts as an outgoing from the lock case and towards the associated vehicle end cantilevered support arm is designed. With the lock arrangement according to the invention it is ensured that, in the case of an associated vehicle, closing of openable body elements is certainly possible even under the abovementioned conditions. With the support according to the invention, the body element to be opened when closing before hitting the rest of the body intercepted by the support and this then moves together with the body element and the lock case in its final position. Accordingly, the body element preferably suggests when closing on the support of the lock assembly. In this way, the lock case and body element at the same time in their

End position moves. This movement allows a large variance in the arrangement and design of the lock assembly according to the invention itself. In particular, this can be better arranged further away from the front flap leading edge on a motor vehicle.

Preferably, furthermore, the first closing means is designed accordingly as a closing hook. Furthermore, the second closing means is preferably designed as a striker.

The support according to the invention is advantageously designed even with a buffer element or elastic component to which the body element abuts when closing the lock assembly. The buffer element preferably forms the stop area or the stop surface for the body element. With the buffer element striking the body member is damped on the movable support of the lock box and also ensures a certain tolerance compensation between these components, especially for their arrangement in the final position.

The support according to the invention is designed as a outgoing from the lock case and projecting towards the associated vehicle end outriggers. The support arm is a lever which moves from the closing body element, in particular pivoted, is. The pivoting movement allows a particularly wide and particularly well-guided braking movement for the body element.

The lock case of the closing arrangement according to the invention is preferably pivotally mountable on the vehicle body. The pivotal mounting allows precise guidance and mounting of the lock box, especially in its end position. Furthermore, it is particularly functional in connection with a pivoting of the lever-like support according to the invention. For pivotally supporting the closing box on the vehicle body, a pivot point or a pivot axis is preferably providable which, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the associated vehicle, is arranged between the second Closing means and the support is located. With such a pivot point, the lock case is slightly raised in the region of its first closing means with the last movement of the body element. The first closing means is thus moved counter to the second closing means. This movement is particularly advantageous for the second closure means to hook securely onto the first closure means.

In the case of the lock arrangement according to the invention, furthermore, the lock case can preferably be retained on a stop when it is in its rest position when the body element is open. The stop thus creates a defined rest position for the lock case and at the same time also for the formed on this, lever-like support.

Particularly preferably, the lock case is resiliently biased in its rest position. The resilient bias ensures that the lock remains in its rest position as long as the body member is not closed and also forms a suspension and damping for the movement of the lock box together with its support from this rest position. With the resilient bias, which is preferably created by means of a coil spring, a coil spring or an elastomer element, so also the movement of the support itself is damped.

The invention is also directed accordingly to a use of such a lock arrangement according to the invention for closing the front door of a motor vehicle.

Fig. 1

eine vereinfachte Seitenansicht eines Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäßen Schlossanordnung in einer Ruhelage des zugehörigen Schlosskastens kurz vor dem Schließen des zugehörigen Karosserieelements und

Fig. 2

die Ansicht gemäß Fig. 1 in einer geschlossenen Lage des zugehörigen Karosserieelements.

An exemplary embodiment of the solution according to the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1

a simplified side view of an embodiment of a lock assembly according to the invention in a rest position of the associated lock box shortly before closing the associated body member and

Fig. 2

the view according to Fig. 1 in a closed position of the associated body element.

In the Fig. 1 and 2 a lock assembly 10 of a motor vehicle in the form of a passenger car is shown, which serves for closing a body element 12 in the form of a front flap of the motor vehicle. The lock assembly 10 is attached to a vehicle body 14 of the motor vehicle and has a metal lock box 16, in particular steel, in which in the installed position an upwardly open locking opening 18 and a movable, substantially block-shaped metal hook 20, especially steel, as a first closing means. As a second closing means is provided on the body member 12, a closing bracket 22 made of metal, which protrudes in the installed position of the body member 12 downwards.

The lock case 16 is pivotally mounted on the vehicle body 14 about a pivot point 24 in the form of a pivot axis. The pivot axis extends substantially horizontally and transversely to the main direction of travel of the motor vehicle. Further, a stop 26 is provided on the vehicle body 14 of a rigid material to which the lock box 16 in his in Fig. 1 shown resting position. The stop 26 is located in the installed position of the lock box 16 at the bottom in relation to the vehicle rear area. The lock case 16 is resiliently biased against the stop 26 in this rest position by means of a spring element 28 in the form of a helical spring. The spring element 28 is located here on the side facing away from the stop 26 side surface and the vehicle forwardly facing side surface of the lock box 16, but other arrangements are possible and useful. Alternatively, the spring element 28 is advantageously designed as a spiral spring or elastomer element.

At the vehicle side facing the front side surface of the lock box 16 a support 30 made of metal, in particular steel, is also fixedly mounted in the lower region, which protrudes from the lock box 16 substantially forward and then directed upwards. The support 30 is in the form of an angle bar or a lever. It is so stationary, preferably integrally connected to the lock case 16 that moves when moving the support 30 and the lock case 16.

With respect to the motor vehicle front, upper end of the lever-shaped support 30 is designed with a buffer member 32 which is formed with an elastomeric block of elastic material. The buffer member 32 comes to the body member 12 on a stop surface 34 for abutment when the body member 12 performs a lowering movement 36 for closing.

Once the body member 12 is struck when closing on the buffer member 32 of the support 30, it moves it in its further lowering movement 36 against the force of the spring element 28 down. In this case, with the support 30 and the lock box 16 moves with and pivots about the pivot point 24 from the stop 26 away. During this pivoting movement 38 of the lock case 16, the striker 22 dips into the closing opening 18. After a sufficiently deep immersion of the striker 22 of the locking hook 20 pivots with a closing movement 40 behind the striker 22. The lock assembly 10 is closed. At the same time, however, the buffer element 32 of the support 30 and with it the entire lock assembly 10 by means of the spring element 28 with a spring force 42 is further urged by the pivot point 24 in the direction of the stop surface 34 of the body member 12 out. The lock assembly 10 is thus biased in addition to the body member 12 and in this way the body member 12 is also advantageously held vibration on the rest of the vehicle body 14. This end position of the lock assembly 10 is in Fig. 2 illustrated.

Since the components vehicle body 14 and body member 12 of course tolerances in terms of their dimensions are recorded, various compensation options for these tolerances are created on the above-mentioned construction. Thus, the lock case 16 can be adjusted relative to the vehicle body 14. Further, the striker 22 can be adjusted relative to the body member 12. In addition, the buffer element 32 can be positioned on the support 30 relative to the stop surface 34 or to the body element 12. Finally, a (known per se) "Z-adjustment" of the body member 12 to a side wall of the vehicle body 14 will be necessary.

reference numeral

10

lock assembly

12

body member

14

vehicle body

16

lock box

18

closing opening

20

Locking hook as first closing means

22

Striker as the second closing means

24

pivot point

26

attack

28

spring element

30

support

32

buffer element

34

stop surface

36

Lowering movement of the body element

38

Swiveling movement of the lock box

40

Closing movement of the closing hook

42

Spring force of the spring element

Claims (10)

1. Lock arrangement (10) of an openable body element (12) of a vehicle body (14), in particular a front hatch, having a lock case (16) which can be arranged on the vehicle body (14) with a first locking means (20) and a second locking means (22) which can be arranged on the body element (12), with the lock case (16) being movably mountable on the vehicle body (14) and a support (30) being provided on the lock case (16) by means of which the lock case (16) on the vehicle body (14) can be moved by the body element (12) upon closing of the lock arrangement (10),
   characterised in that
   the support (30) is in the form of a support arm starting from the lock case (16) and extending towards the corresponding vehicle end.
2. Lock arrangement according to Claim 1,
   characterised in that the first locking means is in the form of a closing hook (20).
3. Lock arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2,
   characterised in that the second locking means is in the form of a locking clip (22).
4. Lock arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 3,
   characterised in that the support (30) is designed with a buffer element (32) against which the body element (12) strikes upon closing of the lock arrangement (10).
5. Lock arrangement (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 4,
   characterised in that the lock case (16) can be mounted to the vehicle body (14) in such a way as to allow for pivoting.
6. Lock arrangement according to Claim 5,
   characterised in that a pivot point (24) can be provided to hold the lock case (16) on the vehicle body (14) in such a way as to allow for pivoting, the pivot point (24) being located between the second locking means (22) and the support (30) in the longitudinal direction of the corresponding vehicle.
7. Lock arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 6,
   characterised in that the lock case (16) can be held back at a stop (26) when it is in its rest position while the body element (12) is open.
8. Lock arrangement according to Claim 7,
   characterised in that the lock case (16) can be spring-loaded into its rest position.
9. Use of a lock arrangement (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 8 for closing the front hatch of a motor vehicle.
10. Vehicle body comprising an openable body element (12) and a lock arrangement (10) of the openable body element according to any one of Claims 1 to 8.

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