EP4182529A1

EP4182529A1 - Motor vehicle lock

Info

Publication number: EP4182529A1
Application number: EP21739544.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Szegeny
Original assignee: Kiekert AG
Current assignee: Kiekert AG
Priority date: 2020-07-15
Filing date: 2021-06-14
Publication date: 2023-05-24
Also published as: EP4182530A1; US20230349202A1; WO2022012709A1; CN116194647A; US20230193665A1; DE102020118721A1; WO2022013400A1; CN116194648A

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock (1) comprising a locking mechanism (2) having a rotary latch (4) and at least one pawl (5), wherein the rotary latch (4) can be latched in at least one latching position by means of the pawl (5), a release lever (11), wherein the locking mechanism (2) can be transferred from the latching position into a release position by means of the release lever (11), and an electric drive unit for actuating the release lever (11), wherein the locking mechanism (2) is arranged in a wet region (15) of the motor vehicle lock (1), and at least part of the actuating mechanism for unlocking the locking mechanism (2) is arranged in a dry region (18) of the motor vehicle lock (1).

Description

motor vehicle lock

description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle side door lock, having a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, the rotary latch being able to be latched in at least one locking position by means of the pawl, a release lever, the locking mechanism being released by means of the release lever the locking position can be converted into a release position and an electric drive unit for actuating the release lever.

In today's motor vehicle locking systems, mainly locking mechanisms are installed, which snap into one another by intermeshing of rotary latch and pawl and thus enable a component that is movably located on the motor vehicle to be fixed. Depending on the arrangement in the motor vehicle, one-stage or two-stage locking mechanisms are used. While it is more common to use one-stage locking mechanisms for covers or tailgates, the law obliges vehicle manufacturers to equip side doors with two-stage locking mechanisms. In a first stage, ie in a first detent position, the side door is held loosely and in a second stage, ie a second detent position, the side door is in a fully closed operating position.

In order to further increase comfort in motor vehicles, more and more electrically assisted functions are being used in motor vehicles. Electric motors are installed in motor vehicle locking systems, which then enable the locking mechanism to be unlocked electrically, for example. The electric motor usually works together with a gear, with the gear stage then directly or indirectly initiating unlocking of the locking mechanism. Such an electric drive unit is known, for example, from DE 102019 109488.7.

DE 10 2019 109 488.7 discloses an electric drive unit consisting of an electric motor with a worm wheel stage connected downstream of the electric motor. fe. The gear wheel of the worm wheel stage is equipped with a cylindrical lateral surface that extends as a ramp around an axis of rotation of the worm gear wheel. An actuating lever is in engagement with the lateral surface, wherein the actuating lever can cause or at least initiate unlocking of a locking mechanism, for example. By means of this electric drive unit, the operator of the motor vehicle is able, for example, to unlock the motor vehicle lock electrically, so that electrically assisted opening of a side door is possible.

At least the rotary latch in a motor vehicle lock is in engagement with a locking bolt or lock holder. The rotary latch and lock holder interact in such a way that the rotary latch can be pivoted around the lock holder and the locking mechanism engages by means of the pawl. The rotary latch is consequently exposed to environmental influences and can come into contact with water, for example due to rain. In order to protect the other components of the motor vehicle lock from environmental influences, it is known to divide the motor vehicle lock into a wet area and a dry area.

DE 20 2012 103 608 U1 discloses a motor vehicle lock in which the rotary latch is arranged in a wet area and the pawl is arranged in a dry area of the motor vehicle. Only part of the pawl protrudes through an opening slot in the lock housing, with the width of the opening slot corresponding to the material thickness of the pawl. The latching arm of the pawl is thus the part of the pawl that extends into the wet area of the motor vehicle lock for engaging in the catch.

The solutions known from the prior art have proven themselves to this day. With increasing electrification of the motor vehicle lock, however, there is a need to completely separate the dry area from the area that is exposed to environmental influences. This is where the invention comes in. The object of the invention is to decouple the environmental influences as far as possible from the electronic or electrical components of the motor vehicle lock. According to the invention, an improved and structurally simple and therefore cost-effective motor vehicle lock is to be provided, with which environmental influences in the field of electronics or electrics are kept away.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the features of independent patent claim 1 . Advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. It is pointed out that the exemplary embodiments described below are not restrictive; instead, any number of possible variations of the features described in the description and the subclaims are possible.

According to claim 1, the object of the invention is achieved in that a motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle side door lock, is provided, having a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, the rotary latch being in at least one latching position by means of the pawl can be latched, a release lever, in which case the locking mechanism can be transferred from the latched position to a release position by means of the release lever, and an electric drive unit for actuating the release lever, the locking mechanism being in a wet area and at least a part of the actuating mechanism for unlocking the locking mechanism being in a dry area of the Motor vehicle lock is arranged. Due to the construction of the motor vehicle lock according to the invention and in particular the arrangement of the locking mechanism in the wet area and the separation in that the actuating mechanism is arranged in the dry area, a further separation between the electric drive and the wet area can be made.

The actuating mechanism can consist, for example, of a release lever which acts directly on the pawl and disengages the pawl from the rotary latch. The release lever can be driven either directly via the electric drive or with the help of an actuation lever, a gear stage. be good The locking mechanism is located in the wet area, i.e. it is subject to environmental influences and can be used due to moisture, dust and/or temperature influences. These environmental influences must be kept away from the electronics area.

A lock housing, which on the one hand can hold and/or contain the electrical and/or electronic components, and can at the same time serve to accommodate other components of the motor vehicle lock, serves to separate the wet area from the dry area. The lock housing mainly consists of a housing part and a housing cover. Of course, the housing can also be constructed in several parts and consist of two, three or more parts. For the realization of the idea according to the invention, it is important that at least part of the actuating mechanism for unlocking the locking mechanism is arranged in the dry area of the lock housing.

If, according to the invention, a motor vehicle lock is mentioned, this also includes locks that are used in side doors, flaps, covers or sliding doors. Exactly everywhere where movably fastened components on the motor vehicle have to be fixed in a closed position in order to enable safe use of the motor vehicle. However, the motor vehicle lock according to the invention preferably relates to a motor vehicle side door.

The ratchet can be designed as a single-lock or double-lock ratchet. From the latest developments, locking mechanisms with locking mechanism parts that roll off, such as a ball, have also become known. With a one-latch ratchet, there is only one latching position in which the pawl holds the catch. In the case of two-locking mechanisms, there is a main locking position as well as a pre-locking position, so that the rotary latch and pawl can interact in two locking positions. The release lever acts together with the locking mechanism in such a way that the release lever! the locked ratchet unlocks. The pawl is moved out of the engagement area with the catch. It is known that several pawls are used. For example, if in the main latching position sets an opening moment for the locking mechanism, the pawl can be held by another pawl. This additional pawl is then referred to as a latching or blocking lever.

The electric drive unit preferably consists of a DC motor, on whose output shaft a gear wheel is mounted, which interacts with another gear wheel in order to initiate a movement in the motor vehicle lock. It is imaginable that the gear wheel attached to the electric motor is lifted directly to the trigger! is engaged, but preferably at least one gear stage is arranged between the driving gear and the release lever. A worm wheel stage is preferably used as the gear stage.

In one embodiment variant of the invention, the drive unit is formed at least from an electric motor and a gear stage, with the gear stage having an actuating lever. Downstream of the electric motor is a worm on the output shaft of the electric motor, which meshes with a worm wheel. The worm wheel in turn drives the actuating lever. The pawl can be actuated directly by means of the actuating lever, but it is also conceivable for the actuating lever to engage with a release lever. The use of the actuating lever also makes it possible to position the electric drive and the worm gear at a distance from the locking mechanism in the motor vehicle lock. In particular, a further translation can be introduced into the drive chain through the interaction of the worm wheel and the actuating lever. In this way, the force required to actuate the pawl can be influenced or set.

The actuating lever can be brought into engagement with the release lever. The triggering lever can preferably be connected in a form-fitting manner to the actuating lever. For this purpose, the release lever can have an opening, for example, into which the actuating lever can be inserted. Of course, it is also conceivable that the actuating lever and release lever are connected in a material-to-material and/or form-fitting and/or non-positive manner. The actuating lever is preferably inserted into the release lever so that a moment can be introduced into the release lever by means of the actuating lever. The actuating lever is driven by the worm wheel and preferably performs a pivoting movement, so that a pivoting or rotating movement is also available on the release lever in order to release the pawl from the area of engagement with the rotary latch. Worm, worm wheel, actuating lever and release lever are preferably made of plastic.

In order to transmit a driving force, the actuating lever can be firmly connected to the release lever. A high degree of safety when actuating the release lever can be provided by a fixed connection between the actuating lever and the release lever. Unlocking the locking mechanism is essential for a motor vehicle lock to function, because otherwise a motor vehicle side door, for example, cannot be opened again. The actuation chain from the electric motor via the worm gear, actuation lever and release lever must be able to be actuated at all times in order to ensure that the locking mechanism is unlocked safely Actuating chain for unlocking the locking mechanism is the primary, usually also the only way to unlock the locked locking mechanism. A mechanical redundancy can then be dispensed with. If the actuating lever in the motor vehicle lock extends from the dry area into the wet area, a preferred embodiment of the invention is formed. The motor vehicle lock is divided into a wet area and a dry area.

The dry area is preferably formed by a housing wall of the motor vehicle lock. In this embodiment, the locking mechanism consisting of rotary latch and pawl as well as the release lever is in a wet area of the motor vehicle lock and the actuating lever extends through the housing and thus enables power to be transmitted from the electric motor to the wet area with the locking mechanism. The operating lever thus assumes several functions. On the one hand, the actuating lever transmits the driving force for unlocking the locking mechanism, and on the other hand, the actuating lever enables the release mechanism and drive mechanism and, in addition, a connection can be made between the dry area and the wet area using the operating lever.

In this embodiment, it has been found to be particularly advantageous that a seal is arranged in a region of a passage opening for the actuating lever. This construction of the motor vehicle lock according to the invention provides a significant advantage. By using a seal in the passage area through the housing, i.e. through the connection opening between the wet area and the dry area, a secure separation between the wet area and the dry area can be achieved. The aforementioned advantages of the actuating lever are supplemented by the use of a seal in such a way that the advantages can be combined with the realization of a complete seal between the dry area and the wet area. The actuating lever extends from the drive unit in the dry area to the release mechanism in the wet area of the motor vehicle lock. The actuating lever extends through the plastic housing of the motor vehicle lock and serves as a transmission link in the actuating chain for unlocking the locking mechanism. If a seal is now inserted on the actuating lever and in particular in the area of the passage opening, reliable sealing can be ensured, as a result of which a maximum of operational reliability can be provided for the electric drive.

It is particularly advantageous if the seal is designed as a sealing ring. The actuating lever is preferably constructed axially symmetrically in the area of the passage opening and transmits the drive torque of the electric motor to the release lever or, in another embodiment variant, to the pawl. If the seal is designed as a sealing ring and the actuating lever has a cylindrical shape in the area of the passage opening, a structurally simple and therefore cost-effective possibility is created for applying a seal in the motor vehicle lock. In addition to the structurally simple structure by the Use of a sealing ring also allows for easy assembly when manufacturing the motor vehicle lock.

In one embodiment variant, the seal can be mounted on the actuating lever. In addition to fastening the seal in the motor vehicle lock, ie for example in a recess in the housing, there is also the possibility of mounting, fastening, inserting and/or integrating the sealing ring directly on the actuating lever. This in turn offers the advantage that no further design measures are necessary in order to arrange or hold the seal in the motor vehicle lock. This simplifies the structural design of the motor vehicle lock overall.

It has proven to be particularly advantageous if the seal can be inserted into the release lever at least in certain areas. If the release lever is also designed in such a way that the seal extends into the release lever at least in some areas, a compact design can be combined with the great advantages of tightness. On the one hand, it is possible to ensure reliable transmission of the force between the release lever and the actuating lever and, on the other hand, to combine a compact design with design advantages. On the one hand, a high level of tightness can be achieved between the dry area and the wet area and, on the other hand, reliable power transmission can be achieved with a minimum of structural space. In addition, by integrating the seal into the release lever, protection for the seal can be formed. Since the wet area, as explained above, is subject to environmental influences and the seal is formed from an elastomeric plastic at least in some areas and at least in the area of a sealing lip, the seal can be protected by integrating the seal in a recess on the release lever.

In an alternative embodiment, the seal can be integrally integrated into the motor vehicle lock. In particular, the seal can be integrated into the release lever or the actuating lever or the housing by means of a two-component injection molding process. A one-piece design of the seal with another component of the motor vehicle lock reduces the proportion of Assembly components and can also serve a very precise positioning of the seal.

Overall, this results in a structurally favorable embodiment that can be combined with the advantages of tightness inside the motor vehicle lock. In particular, in the transition between the wet area and the dry area, on the one hand reliable power transmission can be guaranteed and on the other hand maximum tightness can be guaranteed.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings using a preferred exemplary embodiment. However, the principle applies that the exemplary embodiment does not limit the invention, but merely represents advantageous configurations of the invention. The features shown can be implemented individually or in combination with other features of the description as well as the patent claims individually or in combination.

It shows:

FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of the actuating chain for unlocking the locking mechanism, with a section through the actuating lever and a pivot axis of the pawl being reproduced; and

FIG. 2 shows another view of a section through the actuating lever and the axis of the pawl to clarify the position and function of the seal on the actuating lever.

FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a motor vehicle lock 1 and a section through the actuating lever 3 in the area of a locking mechanism 2 . The locking mechanism 2 comprises a rotary latch 4 and a pawl 5. The pawl 5 is mounted on an axle 6, the axle 6 being accommodated in a reinforcement plate 7 on one side. The axis 6 is mounted on both sides, with the lock case for the opposite mounting of the axis 8 for the better Clarification of the invention is not reproduced. The pawl 5 has a metal core 8 and is provided with a plastic coating 9 . The plastic casing 9 can in turn have damping properties. The pawl 5 interacts indirectly with the rotary latch 4 , a pivotally mounted, rolling blocking element 10 being arranged in the rotary latch 4 . The locking mechanism 2 in the form shown in FIG. 1 consists of the locking pawl axis 6, the locking pawl 5, the locking element 10 and the rotary latch 4. The locking mechanism 2 can have other components.

A release lever 11 acts on the pawl 5. The release lever 11 is provided with a return spring 12 and has a recess 13 into which a seal 14 is inserted. The seal 14 itself is attached to the operating lever 3 and seals the wet area 15 against the dry area 16 in the motor vehicle lock 1 . The operating lever 3 extends from the wet area 16 into the dry area 15 , the operating lever extending through the housing of the motor vehicle lock 1 . The housing 17 has a passage opening 18 for this purpose. The passage opening 18 can at the same time form a bearing point for the actuating lever 3 . A lever arm 19 is formed on the actuating lever 3 itself and can in turn be brought into engagement with a worm wheel 20 .

A main locking position of the locking mechanism 2 is shown in FIG. The pawl 5 is mounted in the axle 6 and held in the reinforcement plate 7 and the lock case. The pawl and actuating lever 3 and the release lever 11 are accommodated in the motor vehicle lock 1 such that they can be pivoted about a central axis M. If the actuating lever 3 is now displaced around the central axis M, with the actuating lever 3 being driven via the lever arm 19 and the electric motor, then the actuating lever 3 also pivots the release lever 11 clockwise in the direction of the arrow P in FIG . A driving contour on the release lever 11 then causes the pawl 5 to pivot about the center axis M, so that the pawl 3 and rotary latch 4 or blocking element 10 disengage. In this case, the engagements between the pawl 5 are not torn off and rotary latch 4, but the pawl 3 rolls on the locking element 10, so that an easy and quiet opening can be achieved.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the motor vehicle lock 1 with a view of the actuating chain 21 . Shown is a section through the housing 17, the pawl 5, the axle 6, the reinforcement plate 7, the release lever 11, the seal 8, the operating lever 3 and the worm gear 22.

The actuating lever 3 is pivotally accommodated in the passage opening 18 on the one hand and in the housing 17 on the other hand. The dry area 15 and the wet area 16 are separated by a housing wall 23 , with the passage opening 18 being penetrated by the actuating lever 3 . The position of the seal 8 , which in this exemplary embodiment is accommodated in the release lever 11 and seals the passage opening 18 against the housing wall 23 by means of a sealing lip 24 , can be clearly seen.

The worm wheel 20 drives the actuating lever 3, with a contour on the worm wheel 20 acting on the lever arm 19 and thus causing the actuating lever to pivot. Actuating lever 3 and release lever 11 are positively and firmly connected to one another, so that the moment introduced by actuating lever 3 into release lever 11 can be used to actuate pawl 5 and thus unlock locking mechanism 2 .

In any case, the solution according to the invention provides a secure means of providing a structurally favorable option for driving the release lever 11 or for unlocking the locking mechanism 2 on the one hand, and on the other hand the seal 14 can be used to ensure reliable sealing in the Motor vehicle lock are guaranteed. In particular, the electric drive or the electric components in the motor vehicle lock 1 can thus be securely accommodated in the motor vehicle lock 1 against environmental influences. reference list

1 motor vehicle lock

2 locks

3 operating levers

4 twists

5 pawl

6 axis

7 reinforcement plate

8 metal core

9 P l a s c u m c a n t i o n g

10 locking element 11 release lever 12 return spring

13 recess

14 seal

15 wet area

16 drying area

17 housing

18 passage opening

19 lever arm

20 worm wheel 21 actuating chain 22 worm gear

23 housing wall

24 sealing lip

M central axis

P arrow

Claims

patent claims

1. Motor vehicle lock (1), in particular motor vehicle side door lock, having a locking mechanism (2) with a rotary latch (4) and at least one pawl (5), the rotary latch (4) being in at least one latching position by means of the pawl (5). - one can be latched, a release lever (11), wherein the locking mechanism (2) can be transferred from the latched position to a release position by means of the release lever (11), and an electric drive unit for actuating the release lever (11), characterized in that the locking mechanism (2) is arranged in a wet area (15) and at least part of the actuating mechanism for unlocking the locking mechanism (2) is arranged in a dry area (16) of the motor vehicle lock (1).

2. Motor vehicle lock (T) according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit is formed at least from an electric motor and a gear stage (20),

3. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the gear stage (20) has an actuating lever (3).

4. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the actuating lever (3) can be brought into engagement with the release lever (11).

5. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the actuating lever (2) for transmitting a driving force is firmly connected to the release lever (11).

6. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the actuating lever (3) in the motor vehicle lock (1) extends from the dry area (16) into the wet area (15).

7. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that a seal (14) is arranged in a region of a passage opening (18) for the actuating lever (3).

8. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the

Seal (14) is designed as a sealing ring.

9. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the seal (14) can be mounted on the actuating lever (3) or the release lever (11).

10. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the seal (14) is insertable at least partially in the release lever (11).

11. Motor vehicle lock (1) according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the seal (14) is integrated into the release lever (11) or the actuating lever (3) or the housing (18) by means of a two-component injection molding process .