EP3173554B1 - Motor vehicle lock - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock according to the preamble of claim 1.

The motor vehicle lock in question is used in all types of locking elements of a motor vehicle. These include, in particular, side doors, rear doors, tailgates, trunk lids or bonnets. In principle, these closure elements can also be designed in the manner of sliding doors.

The well-known motor vehicle lock ( DE 10 2011 113 647 A1 ), from which the invention is based, is equipped with the usual locking elements lock latch and pawl and with an electric opening drive for motorized lifting of the pawl. Such an opening function is associated with a high level of user comfort, since the forces still to be exerted by the user for opening the motor vehicle door or the like are extremely low.

In order to ensure that the motor vehicle lock also provides at least safety-relevant basic functions in an emergency, in particular if the opening drive fails or the supply voltage fails, the motor vehicle lock is equipped with a so-called mechanical redundancy. This means that in addition to the motorized opening function, a manual opening function is provided that is specifically intended for the above emergency. For this purpose, the known motor vehicle lock is equipped with a lock mechanism, which is used to manually lift the pawl from the outside and from the inside via an outside door handle and an inside door handle. The lock mechanism has a switchable clutch arrangement for correspondingly selective transmission of manual actuation forces, so that the mechanical lock states can be set “unlocked”, “locked” and “theft-proof”. The pawl can be "unlocked" from the outside and inside in the lock state, not "locked" from the outside in the lock state, but from the inside and in the lock state "theft-proof" neither from the outside nor from the inside via the lock mechanism. The different Lock states of the lock mechanism ultimately serve to prevent misuse of the mechanical redundancy of the motor vehicle lock.
In normal operation, the above lock states are implemented purely in terms of control technology via a control device of the motor vehicle lock. This means, for example, that the respective control-related lock status is stored in an electronic memory and that the motorized lifting of the pawl is permitted or not depending on the respective control-related lock status.

The above basic concept of the known motor vehicle lock requires that the mechanical lock state systematically track the control-technical lock state. A corresponding control drive is assigned to the lock mechanism for this.

A risk with the known motor vehicle lock is that an error in tracking the mechanical lock state, which can be caused, for example, by a malfunction in terms of control technology, can impair the operational safety of the motor vehicle lock. This applies in particular to the situation in which the lock mechanism which is in the "anti-theft" lock state incorrectly remains in the "anti-theft" lock state after the pawl has been lifted by motor. This can lead to the operator being in the interior of the motor vehicle while the mechanical lock state is still set to be "theft-proof". In the event of an emergency, as mentioned above, a manual lifting of the pawl would not be possible via the mechanical redundancy of the motor vehicle lock.

The publication DE 103 31 497 A1 discloses a motor vehicle lock, the drive train being coupled to a control element of the lock mechanism in such a way that, from the lock state "anti-theft lock on", the motorized lifting of the pawl causes the lock mechanism to be adjusted to the lock state "anti-theft lock off". The lock state "anti-theft lock off" corresponds to an "unlocked" lock state.

The invention is based on the problem of designing and developing the known motor vehicle lock in such a way that its operational reliability is increased.

The above problem is solved in a motor vehicle lock according to the preamble of claim 1 by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.

It is essential to consider that from the lock state "theft-proof" the motorized lifting of the pawl mechanically causes an adjustment of the lock mechanism to the lock state "locked". Specifically, it is proposed that the pawl or the drive train for motor-driven lifting of the pawl can be coupled or coupled to a control element of the lock mechanism in such a way that, from the lock state, "theft-proof" the motorized lifting of the pawl "locks" an adjustment of the lock mechanism to the lock state. causes.

With the proposed solution, the mechanical coupling between the pawl or the drive train for motorized lifting of the pawl ensures that the motorized lifting of the pawl is always accompanied by a corresponding adjustment of the lock mechanism, even if an emergency arises.

With the proposed mechanical adjustment of the lock mechanism to the "locked" lock state, it has been recognized that in the situation shown, an adjustment of the lock mechanism to the "unlocked" lock state is not absolutely necessary in order to achieve adequate operational security. This is due to the fact that the lock state "locked" enables manual release of the pawl from the inside by definition. At the same time, this variant protects the operator inside the vehicle against improper lifting of the pawl from the outside, since the lock state "locked" does not allow manual lifting of the pawl from the outside by definition.

The preferred embodiment according to claim 2 allows a particularly high degree of flexibility in the mechanical construction, since the drive train for motorized lifting of the pawl on the one hand and the lock mechanism on the other hand, apart from the proposed coupling, can be designed independently of one another.

The further preferred embodiment according to claim 3 allows the proposed ejection of the lock state "theft-proof" almost without delay with regard to the motorized lifting of the pawl, so that Ejection of the lock state "theft-proof" is carried out even if there should be a drive problem after the pawl has been raised by motor.

Claims 4 to 10 relate to preferred configurations of the lock mechanism, in particular the coupling arrangement of the lock mechanism. In the particularly preferred embodiment of the control element with a control shaft, there is a structurally particularly simple coupling between the pawl or the drive train for motorized lifting of the pawl and the control element. It is preferably provided in this context according to claim 11 that the control shaft has a corresponding control contour, via which the proposed adjustment of the control shaft, and thus a corresponding adjustment of the lock state, can be implemented.

Fig. 1

ein Kraftfahrzeug mit mehreren, vorschlagsgemäßen Kraftfahrzeugschlössern,

Fig. 2

ein vorschlagsgemäßes Kraftfahrzeugschloss gemäß Fig. 1 im Schlosszustand "entriegelt" in einer perspektivischen Ansicht schräg von unten,

Fig. 3

das Kraftfahrzeugschloss gemäß Fig. 2 im Schlosszustand "entriegelt" in einer perspektivischen Ansicht schräg von oben,

Fig. 4

das Kraftfahrzeugschloss gemäß Fig. 3 im Schlosszustand "verriegelt",

Fig. 5

das Kraftfahrzeugschloss gemäß Fig. 3 im Schlosszustand "diebstahlgesichert" und

Fig. 6

das Kraftfahrzeugschloss gemäß Fig. 2 am Ende des motorischen Aushebens der Sperrklinke aus dem Schlosszustand "diebstahlgesichert" heraus in einer perspektivischen Ansicht schräg von oben.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of a drawing illustrating only one exemplary embodiment. In the drawing shows

Fig. 1

a motor vehicle with several proposed motor vehicle locks,

Fig. 2

a proposed motor vehicle lock according to Fig. 1 in the lock state "unlocked" in a perspective view obliquely from below,

Fig. 3

the motor vehicle lock according to Fig. 2 in the lock state "unlocked" in a perspective view obliquely from above,

Fig. 4

the motor vehicle lock according to Fig. 3 "locked" in the lock state,

Fig. 5

the motor vehicle lock according to Fig. 3 in the lock state "theft-proof" and

Fig. 6

the motor vehicle lock according to Fig. 2 at the end of the motorized lifting of the pawl from the lock state "theft-proof" in a perspective view obliquely from above.

The motor vehicle lock S shown is equipped with the locking elements lock latch 1 and pawl 2. The lock latch 1 is in the Fig. 2 shown closed position, in which it is in holding engagement with a locking wedge 3 or the like, and in an open position, not shown, in which it releases the locking wedge 3 or the like. In detail, the lock latch 1 can be derived from the in Fig. 2 Adjust the closed position shown by swiveling counterclockwise to the open position.

The pawl 2 can be in the Fig. 2 shown sunken position, in which it holds the latch 1 in a closed position, and, in Fig. 2 counterclockwise, to a raised position, in which it releases the latch 1, swivel.

The motor vehicle lock S is also equipped with a drive train 4 for motorized lifting of the pawl 2, which in turn is associated with an electric opening drive 5. In the illustrated and in this respect preferred exemplary embodiment, the drive train 4 comprises the opening drive 5, a drive cable 6 connected downstream of the opening drive 5, a rope pulley 7, a drive contour 8 arranged on the rope pulley 7 and a release lever 9. When the pawl 2 is raised by motor, the opening drive 5 winds the drive cable 6 on its drive shaft 5a, so that the cable pulley 7 in Fig. 5 counterclockwise at the top. As a result, the worm-like drive contour 8 comes into engagement with a drive surface 9a on the release lever 9, so that the release lever 9 in Fig. 5 pivots clockwise at the top. As a result, the release lever 9, with its driven surface 9b, comes into engagement with a shape 10 of the pawl 2, which is still to be explained, so that the pawl 2 in Fig. 2 pivots counterclockwise to its raised position.

For the control of the motor vehicle lock S, in particular for the control of the opening drive 5, a lock control 11 is preferably provided, which in Fig. 2 is only hinted at. Furthermore, everyone who is in Fig. 1 shown door handles 12, 13 assigned a door handle sensor 14, 15, its actuation depending on the control lock state, which in the lock control 11 is stored, can lead to a motorized lifting of the pawl 2.

The motor vehicle lock S shown has a lock mechanism 16 which, in the assembled state, is used for manually lifting the pawl 2 from the outside and from the inside via an outside door handle 12 and an inside door handle 13. For this purpose, the door handles 12, 13 are each coupled to the lock mechanism 16 via a mechanical connection. In the present case, the term “manual lifting of the pawl” means that manual actuation forces initiated by the operator via the outer door handle 12 or the inner door handle 13 are passed to the pawl 2 in order to lift the pawl 2, just manually. The door handles 12, 13 thus enable motorized lifting of the pawl via the door handle sensors 14, 15 and manual lifting of the pawl 2 via the respective mechanical connection.

The lock mechanism 16 has a switchable clutch arrangement 17 for transmitting manual actuation forces which have been initiated by the operator via the outer door handle 12 or the inner door handle 13, as a result of which the lock mechanism 16 "unlocks", "locks" and "protects against theft in the mechanical lock states "brings. The clutch arrangement 17 serves to transmit manual actuation forces insofar as it transmits or does not pass the manual actuation forces introduced via the outer door handle 12 or the inner door handle 13, depending on the state of the lock, to the pawl 2. As mentioned above, the pawl 2 in the lock state "unlocked" from the outside and inside, in the lock state "locked" not from the outside, but from the inside and in the lock state "theft-proof" can neither be lifted manually from the outside nor from the inside. This is explained in more detail below.

The behavior of the motor vehicle lock S is essential for the proposed teaching if the pawl 2 is lifted out of the lock state by means of a "theft-proof" mechanism. In general, it is provided here that the pawl 2 or the drive train 4 is or can be coupled to a control element of the lock mechanism 16, which is yet to be explained, in such a way that the lock state is "secured against theft" ( Fig. 5 ) the motorized lifting of the pawl 2 an adjustment of the lock mechanism 16 in the Lock status "locked" ( Fig. 4 ) causes. The end of motor lifting in such a situation shows Fig. 6 , in which a shape 19 of the pawl 2 has come into engagement with the control element 18 in order to bring the control element 18 into a position which "locks" the lock state, that is to say in Fig. 4 lock state shown corresponds. In Fig. 6 this was previously associated with an adjustment of the control element 18 to be explained in a clockwise direction.

In order to ensure that the operator in the vehicle interior can open the motor vehicle door or the like, it is sufficient to adjust the lock mechanism 16 to the "locked" lock state.

It can be seen from the above explanation of the drive train 4 for lifting the pawl 2 that, apart from the proposed coupling, the drive train 4 is largely separate from the motor vehicle lock S, in particular from the lock mechanism 16. It is accordingly the case that the motor-driven lifting of the pawl 2 can be carried out freely by the lock mechanism 16, apart from the coupling according to the proposal. This results in a high degree of structural flexibility, as has been indicated above.

The proposed adjustment of the control element 18 of the lock mechanism 16 takes place here and preferably essentially at the same time as the motorized lifting of the pawl 2. It is generally the case that the motorized lifting of the pawl 2 overlaps in time, here and preferably at the same time as that on the Lifting the pawl 2 backward adjustment of the lock mechanism 16 in the lock state "locked" takes place.

The coupling arrangement 17 of the lock mechanism 16 has here and preferably for the transmission of manual actuation forces a coupling element 20 which is adjustable depending on the state of the lock and a counter bearing 21 for the coupling element 20. The counter bearing 21 provides the function of a driver for the coupling element 20. The coupling element 20 and the counter bearing 21 can best be shown Fig. 3 remove. This illustration also shows that here and preferably the counter bearing 21 is part of the pawl 2. According to the presentation Fig. 6 can finally be seen that the counter bearing 21 is inserted into a base body of the pawl 2. Alternatively, it can be provided that the counter bearing 21 is attached to the base body 22 of the pawl 2.

Fig. 3 further shows that here and preferably two actuating levers 23, 24, namely an external actuating lever 23 and an internal actuating lever 24, are provided which are mechanically coupled to the external door handle 12 and the internal door handle 13 in the assembled state. Depending on the lock state, the coupling element 20 lies within or outside the range of movement of the respective actuation lever 23, 24. If the coupling element 20 lies within the range of movement of an actuation lever 23, 24, actuation of this actuation lever 23, 24 by the operator leads via a door handle 12, 13 an application of force to the coupling element 20, which application of force is directed from the coupling element 20 to the counter bearing 21 and thus to the pawl 2, which lifts it manually.

"Unlocked" in the lock state, which in Fig. 3 is shown, the coupling element 20 lies within the range of movement of the outer actuation lever 23 and the inner actuation lever 24, so that an actuation of both actuation levers 23, 24 in Fig. 3 clockwise at the top, via the coupling element 20 and the counter bearing 21, causes the pawl 2 to be lifted manually.

"Locked" in the lock state, which in Fig. 4 is shown, the coupling element 20 lies outside the range of motion of both actuating levers 23, 24, so that when actuating both actuating levers 23, 24, they move past the coupling element 20 without acting on the counter bearing 21. A special feature, however, shows when the inner actuation lever 24 is actuated is equipped with an override contour 25. An actuation of the inner actuation lever 24 from the locked state “locked” has the effect that the override contour 25 comes into engagement with an override counter contour 26 on the control element 18 and the control element 18 engages in FIG Fig. 3 shown position, which corresponds to the lock state "unlocked" transferred. When the inner operating lever 24 is actuated again, the pawl 2 is raised, as described above with reference to FIG Fig. 3 is explained. The motor vehicle door or the like can thus always be opened from the inside from the locked state “locked”.

In the "anti-theft" lock state, the coupling element 20 is again outside the range of motion of both actuating levers 23, 24. However, the special feature here is that the override counter contour 26 is also outside the range of motion of the internal actuating lever 24. It is therefore not possible to open the motor vehicle door or the like from the outside or from the inside out of the locked state "theft-proof".

The representation according to Fig. 3 shows that the counter bearing 21 is designed in a very special way. Specifically, the counter bearing 21 has at least one counter bearing pin 21a, 21b, here and preferably two counter bearing pins 21a, 21b, which extends parallel to the pivot axis 2a of the pawl 2. Here and preferably it is the case that the counter bearing 21 has a first counter bearing pin 21a and offset parallel thereto a second counter bearing pin 21b, further preferably the counter bearing pins 21a, 21b being arranged along a radial line 27 with respect to the pivot axis 2a of the pawl 2 . This allows a structurally simple configuration of the coupling element 20 to be achieved, which can be pivotable in a first approximation about the pivot axis 2a of the pawl 2 in order to be able to follow the lifting of the pawl 2.

A particularly cost-effective embodiment of the coupling element 20 results here and preferably from the fact that the coupling element 20 is designed as a resiliently bendable wire or strip, which extends at least in a coupling position essentially transversely to the at least one counter bearing pin 21a, 21b, as shown in particular according to Fig. 3 can be seen. The adjustability of the coupling element 20 for adjustment of the different lock states is realized here in that the coupling element 20 in the Fig. 3-5 is deflectable upwards. This deflection is always accompanied by a resilient bending of the coupling element 20. When the pawl 2 is lifted manually, the coupling element 20 follows the pivoting movement of the pawl 2 and, as mentioned above, essentially pivots about the pivot axis 2a of the pawl 2. The basic functioning of the coupling arrangement with a spring-elastic, flexible coupling element 20 can be found in the European patent EP 2 193 247 B1 remove that goes back to the applicant.

Various advantageous variants are conceivable for the design of the control element 18 of the lock mechanism 16. Here and preferably, the control element 18 has a control shaft 28 which can be deflected about a control shaft axis 28a. As indicated above, the control element 18 can be brought into different control positions, each of which corresponds to a lock state. In the relevant control positions, the control element 18 is preferably fixed in each case by a tilt spring arrangement, not shown. The lock mechanism 16 is preferably equipped with a control drive 29 for adjusting the control element 18, so that the mechanical lock state of the lock mechanism 16 can in principle be tracked via the lock controller 11. Here and preferably, it is provided that the lock control 11 always tracks the mechanical lock state via the control drive 29 to the control-technical lock state. In addition, it is proposed, as explained above, that the motorized lifting of the pawl 2 brings about a mechanical adjustment of the lock mechanism 16 to the "locked" lock state from the "anti-theft" lock state. In this situation, it is further preferably provided that the lock control 11 takes over a corresponding adjustment of the control-related lock status to the mechanical lock status.

A synopsis of the 3 to 5 shows that the control element 18, here the control shaft 28, is coupled to the coupling element 20 in such a way that the coupling element 20 is located in the 3 to 5 can be adjusted in height, so that the coupling element 20, as mentioned above, depending on the mechanical lock state within or outside the range of motion the range of motion of the actuating lever 23, 24. For this coupling, the control shaft 28 is equipped with a control cam 30 on which the coupling element 20 is supported. In principle, however, it can also be provided that the control element 18 is formed at least in sections by the coupling element 20, so that an adjustment of the control element 18 necessarily causes an adjustment of the coupling element 20.

Of particular importance for the illustrated, in this respect, preferred exemplary embodiment is the fact that the control element 18, here and preferably the control shaft 28, has a control contour 31 with which the pawl 2 is coupled or can be coupled in such a way that "theft-proof" comes out of the lock state the motorized lifting of the pawl 2 causes an adjustment of the lock mechanism 16 to the locked state "locked".

The end of the motorized lifting of the pawl 2 from the lock state "theft-proof" shows Fig. 6 . Based on the in Fig. 5 shown lock state "theft-proof" the pawl 2 in Fig. 5 lifted clockwise, so that the pawl 2 with its shape 19 came into engagement with the control shaft 28, in particular with the control contour 31 of the control shaft 28, and the control shaft 28 from the in Fig. 5 position shown in the Fig. 6 position shown has pivoted clockwise. At the end of the motorized lifting of the pawl 2, the lock mechanism 16 is thus “locked” in the lock state, as in FIG Fig. 6 is shown.

The above-mentioned shape 19 of the pawl 2 forms a control contour 32, which can be coupled or coupled to the control element 18 of the lock mechanism 16, here and preferably to a control contour 31 of the control element 18, such that, as explained above, from the lock state "theft-proof" out the motorized lifting of the pawl 2 causes an adjustment of the lock mechanism 16 in the lock state "locked".

The control contour 32 of the pawl 2 or the shape 19 of the pawl 2 mentioned above can be implemented in very different constructive ways. Here and preferably it is provided that an abutment journal mentioned above, here the second abutment journal 21b, provides the control pawl 2 with the control contour 32 or the shape 19 of the pawl 2, which can be accomplished in a particularly simple manner in terms of construction.

Claims (13)

1. Motor vehicle lock with the closure elements of lock catch (1) and pawl (2), wherein the lock catch (1) can be pivoted into a closed position, in which it is retained in engagement with a striker (3) or the like, and into an open position, in which it releases the striker (3) or the like, wherein the pawl (2) can be pivoted into an engaged position, in which it holds the lock catch (1) in a closed position, and into a lifted-out position, in which it releases the lock catch (1), wherein a drivetrain (4) for the motorized lifting-out of the pawl (2) is provided with an electric opening drive (5), wherein a lock mechanism (16) is provided that, in the installed state, serves to manually lift out the pawl (2) from the outside and from the inside by way of an outside door handle (12) and an inside door handle (13), and wherein the lock mechanism (16) has a switchable coupling arrangement (17) for the transmission of manual actuating forces and as a result can be brought into the mechanical lock states "unlocked", "locked" and "anti-theft locked", wherein the pawl (2) can be manually lifted out from the outside and inside in the lock state "unlocked", cannot be manually lifted out from the outside but can from the inside in the lock state "locked", and cannot be manually lifted out either from the outside or from the inside in the lock state "anti-theft locked",
   characterized in that
   the pawl (2) or the drivetrain (4) is coupled or can be coupled to a control element (18) of the lock mechanism (16) in such a manner that the motorized lifting of the pawl (2) out of the lock state "anti-theft locked" brings about a displacement of the lock mechanism (16) into the lock state "locked".
2. Motor vehicle lock according to Claim 1, characterized in that the remainder of the motorized lifting-out of the pawl (2) can be carried out in a manner free from the lock mechanism (16).
3. Motor vehicle lock according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the motorized lifting-out of the pawl (2) takes place in a temporally overlapping, in particular simultaneous, manner with the displacement of the lock mechanism (16), which originates from the lifting-out of the pawl (2), into the lock state "locked" or "unlocked".
4. Motor vehicle lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, for the transmission of manual actuating forces, the coupling arrangement (17) has a coupling element (20), which can be displaced depending on the lock state, and a counter-bearing (21) for the coupling element (20), preferably in that the counter-bearing (21) is a component part of the pawl (2) and is inserted into a main body (22) of the pawl (2) or is applied to the main body (22) of the pawl (2).
5. Motor vehicle lock according to Claim 4, characterized in that an actuating lever (23, 24), in particular an outer actuating lever (23) or an inner actuating lever (24), is provided, and in that the coupling element (20) is inside or outside the movement range of the actuating lever (23, 24) depending on the lock state.
6. Motor vehicle lock according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the counter-bearing (21) has at least one counter-bearing pin (21a, 21b) which extends parallel to the pivot axis (2a) of the pawl (2), preferably in that the counter-bearing (21) has a first counter-bearing pin (21a) and a second counter-bearing pin (21b) offset parallel thereto, preferably in that the counter-bearing pins (21a, 21b) are arranged along a line that is radial in relation to the pivot axis (2a) of the pawl (2).
7. Motor vehicle lock according to one of Claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the coupling element (20) is configured as a resiliently bendable wire or strip which, at least in a coupling position, extends substantially transversely to the at least one counter-bearing pin (21a, 21b).
8. Motor vehicle lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control element (18) has a control shaft (28).
9. Motor vehicle lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control element (18) can be brought into various control positions, each corresponding to a lock state, preferably in that the lock mechanism (16) has a control drive (29) for displacing the control element (18) .
10. Motor vehicle lock according to one of Claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the control element (18) is coupled to the coupling element (20) or is formed by the coupling element (20).
11. Motor vehicle lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control element (18), in particular the control shaft (28), has a control contour (31) to which the pawl (2) or the drivetrain (4) for the motorized lifting-out of the pawl (2) is coupled or can be coupled in such a manner that the motorized lifting of the pawl (2) out of the lock state "anti-theft locked" brings about a displacement of the lock mechanism (16) into the lock state "locked".
12. Motor vehicle lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pawl (2) has a control contour (32) which is coupled or can be coupled to the control element (18) of the lock mechanism (16), in particular to a control contour (31) of the control element (18), in such a manner that the motorized lifting of the pawl (2) out of the lock state "anti-theft locked" brings about a displacement of the lock mechanism (16) into the lock state "locked" or "unlocked".
13. Motor vehicle lock according to Claim 12, characterized in that a counter-bearing pin (21b) of the pawl (2) provides the control contour (32) of the pawl (2).

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