WO1994019569A1

WO1994019569A1 - An apparatus for control of an extensible rod member of a safety system, in particular for locking a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO1994019569A1
Application number: PCT/CZ1994/000010
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Zikl
Original assignee: Jan Zikl
Priority date: 1993-02-22
Filing date: 1994-02-22
Publication date: 1994-09-01
Also published as: AU6035694A

Abstract

An apparatus for control of an extensible rod member (104) of a safety system, in particular for locking a vehicle, by means of an electric driving device (1) with a transmission means (3) is disclosed. Adjacent to the rod member (4), which is slidably mounted within a cavity of a body (5), there are aligned along the rod (4) two aligned and axially spaced end position switches (6, 7), guided by the walls of the cavity of the body (5) and separated from each other by a partition (12) and by a spring (8). An adjusting screw (9) extending through the wall of the body (5) abuts on one of the switches (6, 7) against the pressure of the spring (8). Each of the switches (6, 7) carries on its side opposite to the rod (4) a contact plate affixed to its electric leads and provided with a radial adjusting device. The rod member (4) is provided in a part of its length with a gearing for an engagement with a transmission means onto its electric driving device (1). The radial adjusting device may be constituted by radial adjusting screws (11, 12) screwed into the contact plate, wherein the heads of both screws (11, 10) rest against a closing plate of the cavity of the body (5) and are covered by a cover member (15) provided with opening for the control of the screws.

Description

An apparatus for control of an extensible rod member of a safety system, in particular for locking a vehicle

Field of the invention

The invention aconcerns an apparatus for control of an ex¬ tensible rod of a safety system, in particular for locking a vehicle, by means of an electric driving device with a transmission means.

Background of the invention

Known apparatus for control of an extensible rod member, for example for doors of motor vehicles, are characterized by a free movement of the rod member in both directions, i.e. outwardly and inwardly between end positions. This re¬ sults from their structural arrangement in which there is mounted on the motor shaft a gear wheel with a straight gea¬ ring and with the adjoining transmission to the extensible rod member, what does not prevent spontaneous and self-actuated displacement of the extensible rod member or even an application of an axial force on said rod member, what represents a way for opening tne locked door by an unauthorized person. The present constructions of such devi¬ ces are usually provided with fixed stops so that mechanic shocks occur at the ends of the displacement path of the ex¬ tensible rod member in abutment on the said stops, which leads to overstraining of the transmission members of the electric motor, through which consequently the electric cur¬ rent flows even after the motor has been stopped.

Summary of the invention

The said drawbacks are removed by the invention of an appa¬ ratus for control of an extensible rod member of a safety system, in particular for locking a vehicle, by means of an electric driving device with a transmission means, characte¬ rized in that adjacent to the rod member, slidably mounted within a cavity of a body, there are aligned along the rod member two end position switches, guided by the walls of the cavity of the body and separated from each other by a parti¬ tion and by a spring, wherein on one of the end position switches there abuts against the pressure of the spring an adjusting screw extending through the wall of the body and wherein each of the end position switches carries on its si¬ de opposite to the rod member a contact plate affixed to its electric leads and provided with a radial adjusting device of the switch, wherein the rod member is provided in a part of its length with a gearing for an engagement with a trans¬ mission means onto or of its electric driving device.

Under the term "extensible rod member" there is to be understood a generally elongate member of a suitable cross-section which serves as a pull-rod or if necessary push-rod, suitably cooperating in with a corresponding mem¬ ber of the safety system, for example to cooperate with ele¬ ments of a door lock of a car or of a blocking means of such a door, and adapted to this end to move axially outwardly from a retracted position in the body and to retract back to the retracted position. Under the term "end position switch" there is to be understood an end switch which switches-off, in response to reaching a predetermined end position of the displacement of the extensible rod member, the electric dri¬ ving device.

Preferrably the radial adjusting device is constitu¬ ted by radial adjusting screws screwed into the contact pla¬ te, wherein the heads of the both screws rest against a clo¬ sing plate of the cavity of the body and are covered by a cover member provided with openings for the control of the screws. The screw heads are thus axially blocked between the closing plate of the cavity and the cover member while they can rotate if they driven for example a screw-driver enga¬ ging through the said openings in their heads. The screws act thus as adjusting screws moving the contact plate with the corresponding switch affixed thereto radially, if they are rotated.

The transmission means is advangeously constituted by a set of gear wheels wherein the last one of them is in en¬ gagement with a worm means mounted on a shaft of the elect¬ ric driving device constituted by an electric motor, wherein the transmission means and the electric motor are mounted inside the body. The body may be provided with mounting ope¬ nings for affixing it to a mounting structure. Said body may be further provided with a recess for mounting of diodes, for example of the diodes of a rectifier.

The advantage of the invention resides in particular in an elimination of mechanic shocks in the end positions of the extensible rod member and in resulting reduction of pro- neness to failures. The length of displacement stroke of the extensible rod member can be adjusted according to the type of the lock which is controlled. An important advantage re¬ sides in a practical impossibility to open the door by a so called "hooking" as owing to the presence of the worm trans¬ mission the rod member can be moved only in connecting the device to a voltage supply to drive the electric motor in the appropriate direction. The vehicle cannot be blocked from inside and in the case of an a crash impact the car re¬ mains in an opened condition. Even if a battery of the motor vehicle is changed, it is realiably and readilly possible to unclock the car and to lock it again.

According to another embodiment of the present inven¬ tion the electric driving device is constituted by an elect¬ ric motor with a transmission means arranged inside the body of the electric motor, the said electric motor being arranged transversally to the extensible rod member, wherein the output pinion wheel of the electric motor is provided with spur gearing in engagement with a gearing provided on the extensible rod member and wherein the radial adjusting device is constituted by rotatable cams in engagement with the corresponding contact plates of the switches. The rota¬ table cam may be mounted in engagement with an adjusting slide, which is coupled with the contact plate and which is engagable on its opposite side by rotatable cam which in turn is engagable by a securing screw.

The electric motor can suitably extend with its axis parallel to the extensible rod member and its output pi¬ nion is in such event provided with a worm thread in engage¬ ment with the gearing of the extensible rod member. A com¬ pact arrangement is thus obtained.

According to still another embodiment the driving de¬ vice is constituted by an electromagnetic coil through which the extensible rod member extends axially, wherein a blo¬ cking pin pin extends radially slidably through an auxiliary electromagnetic coil and engages the gearing of the rod mem¬ ber while a return spring abuts on the end face the of said blocking pin, remote from the extensible rod member. The electromagnetic coil may be divided in a pair of coaxial sections and the blocking pin is disposed between the said sections. A compact and particularly simple arrangement is thus obtained.

All this further increases the variability of the driving device according to local necessities and condi¬ tions. The cam arrangement of the radial adjusting device further improves a possibility of a fine radial adjustement of the switches.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention is further explained in the following desrcip- tion in greater details with reference to the accompanying drawings in which fig.l illustrates a sectional view of the device for actuation of the extensible rod member, fig.2 shows a detail of a part of the said device with the swi¬ tching and adjusting elements of the rod member position and with a view of the cover of the body of the said device, fig.3 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the inven¬ tion with the driving device in the form of an electric mo¬ tor arranged transversally to the rod member, fig.4 shows a schematic view, partially in section, of en embodiment with an electric motor extending parallel to the extensi¬ ble rod member and with a direct drive of the said rod mem¬ ber, fig.5 a schematic section of the embodiment with the electric driving device in the form of an electromagnetic coil and fig.6 a schematic view of the radial adjusting de¬ vice of the end position switches with a cam device.

Description of examples of particular embodiments At first, reference is made to the embodiment shown on fig.l and 2. As shown on fig.l, in the cavity of the body 5 there is mounted an electric motor JL on the shaft of which a worm 2. is mounted. The gearing of the worm 2 engages with the a first gear wheel of a transmission means 3_, formed by a set of gear wheels made of plastic, of an alumium alloy, zinc or any any other corrosion resistant material. The last gear wheel 3_. in engagement with an exterior gearing of an extensible rod member 4. (in fig.l, the outlines of the rod member 4. are shown only schematically by dashed lines). The rod member 4. is provided with a gearing for an engagement with the transmission means 3_. of the electric motor 1 only in a part of its length and at its end projecting out from the body 5 of the device a coupling member is provided, for example an eye.

As seen in fig.2, the rod member 4. made of plastic or of any suitable corrosion resistant material is mounted for a slidable movement in a cavity of a body 5 made of plastic. In said cavity, two end position switches 6_, 1_, aligned along the rod member 4. and axially spaced on the same side of the cavity are disposed adjacent to the rod 4., while being guided by the walls of the body cavity. Moreover, the switches 6 , 1_ are separated from each other by a partition 12 and by a spring 8.. The switches 6 , 2 are constituted by conventional end switches with fixed electric leads or ter¬ minals. The partition i2, which constitutes together with the adjoining walls of the cavity of the body 5 a guiding means for the switches 6 , 1_ can be an integral part of the body 5 or alternatively it can be constituted as a separate plastic part which is fitted in the cavity 5 of the body.

The end position switches §_, 2 ^{a e end} switches which upon arrival of the rod member 4. to its extreme positions, caused by the drive from the electric motor, switch-off the electric motor before a mechanic impact on the end of the path can occur. If one of the switches is switched-on, then the circuit of the other switch may be switched-off in de- pendance on the course of the rod member 4.. To this end one of the switches is adapted to switch-off upon engagement of the rod member 4. with its contacts and the other to switch-on upon such an engagement. If for example the rod member 4. is fully retracted in the body 5 , the switch 1_ will be switched-off while the other switch j5 is in a switched-on state. When the rod member moves outwardly to leave the engagement with the contact of the switch 1_, the said switch 1_ will be switched-on so that in a certain ins¬ tant the both switches will be switched in an on-position. However, after a certain outward displacement of the rod member 4., the release of engagement causes a disconnection of the contacts of the switch <5 and the said switch 6_. will be switched-off.

Each of the both end position switches <6, carries on its side facing the rod member 4, a contact plate affixed to its fixed electric terminals, for example a printed cir- cuit board, with a radial adjusting screw 11, 10. respective¬ ly, screwed in a threaded hole in the contact plate. The heads of the both adjusting screws 1(D and JL1 rest against the closing plate 15 of the cavity of the body 5 and are co¬ vered by a cover 15. locking their heads against axial dis¬ placement. The cover .15 is provided with access openings to allow their controlling, for example for by means of screw driver. The closing plate and the cover 35 are suitably made of plastic. The adjusting screws 11., i_, for example made of plastic or of brass, serve for a fine adjustment, i.e. for an exact adjustement in the radial direction which allows to adjust a sooner or a later contact of the switch with the extensible rod member 4..

Onto one of the end position switches §_, 2, in the present exemple on to the second switch 2 there abuts against a the force of the spring 8., resting against the partition 2_, an axial adjusting screw 9_ extending through a threaded hole in the body 5_, which screw serves for a coarse adjustement of the length of the displacement stro¬ ke of the extensible rod member 4_. In this adjustment a mo¬ tion of the second switch 1_ along the axis of the rod member is caused and for this purpose an elogate opening is pro¬ vided adjacent to the head of the corresponding radial ad¬ justing screw 10.. The plastic cover 15. may be attached to the body 5 of the device for example by adhesive bonding.

In the body 5. of the device there are provided two mounting openings 14. which serve for its affixing to a moun¬ ting structure. The body 15. can be further provided with a recess .13_. for accomodation of the diodes of a rectifier, serving to switch the poles of the electric motor 1 in res¬ ponse to the polarity of the input cables. The electric mo¬ tor 1 is mounted in the body 5_ of the apparatus for example by pressure moulding into the body, adhesive bonding or bol¬ ting. The axes of the individual gear wheels of the trans- mission means 3. are affixed in the holders or in projections or lugs provided on the inner surface of the cavity 5 of the body having inner openings therein.

The apparatus in this embodiment works as follows: Electric current flows over the first switch 6. into an elec¬ tric motor 3. which starts to rotate and causes that by means of the transmission 3. the rod member 4. is diplaced outwardly from the body to such a position in which it switches off the first switch 6. The current input into the electric mo¬ tor 1 is thus interrupted and the motor is stopped. Upon outward^'displacement of the rod 4. member its outer end can latch a lock of the vehicle door, for example by means of a cooperating catch member.

When the poles of the electric motor 1. are reversed, the current flows first through the second switch 1_, the electric motor 3. is caused to rotate so as to displace through the worm 2 and the transmission means 3. the rod mem¬ ber 4. back inwardly into the body 5. In a predetermined po¬ sition the rod member 4. is stopped by switching off the se¬ cond switch 2 iⁿ consequence of engagement with its contact which stops the electric motor 1. The door lock is thus un¬ latched.

The proceeding with respect to the latching or unlat¬ ching (or locking or unlocking) of the door lock can be, of course, an opposite one according to the structural embodi¬ ment providing the locking of the doors, i.e. that the ex¬ traction of the rod member unlatches the door and the re¬ traction back into the body 5. locks it. This has no influen¬ ce on the object of the invention and its function.

Reference is made now to an embodiment according to fig.3. The apparatus shown in fig.3 consists of a body 105 in which there is diplaceably arranged an extensible rod member 104. The extensible rod member 104 is provided with a gearing 118 in engagement with a output pinion wheel 119 of an electric motor 102, which is arranged transversally to the rod member 104. The output pinion wheel 119 has a spur gearing what supposes that inside the electric motor there is provided a reduction gear transmission 103. In fig.3 the¬ re are shown also position end switches 106. 107 to define end positions of the extensible rod 104. The described solu¬ tion enables consequuently to drive the outwardly displa- ceable (extensible) rod member 104 with a considerable force which is necessary for a reliable movement of the said rod member^' 104. for example at low temperatures or in the case of a partially distorted door of the vehicle etc. The end positions of the said extensible rod member 104 are defined by the end position switches 106. 107. the switching on and off of which can be exactly preset by means of adjusting de¬ vices described in detail in connection with figures 1,2 and 6.

The embodiment shown in fig.4 differs from that of fig.3 in that the electric motor 102 is arranged in this ca¬ se with its rotation axis parallel to the extensible rod member 104 and its output pinion 119 has a worm thread which is in engagement with the gearing 118 provided on the rod 104 member. In this case the transmissions inside the elect¬ ric motor 102 are not any longer necessary as the sufficient transmission rate can be obtained by a proper selection of the lead of the worm on the output pinion 119 and of the spacing of the gearing teeth of the gearing 118 provided on the rod member 104.

In the embodiment shown in fig.5 the electric motor 102 of the electric driving device 101 is replaced by a mag¬ netic coil 120 which is susceptible to pull the rod member 104 into its interior and moves directly with said rod mem¬ ber 104. In the practical embodiment shown in fig.5 the said -10-

electromagnetic coil 120 is divided in two coaxially arran¬ ged sections 201. 202, which on the one hand allows to achieve a more favourable distribution of the electromagne¬ tic force but on the other hand requires to divide the parts of the extensible rod member 104 cooperating with the res¬ pective sections 201. 202 into sections with different mag¬ netic properties.

In using the described electromagnetic drive of the rod member 104 it is necessary to take in account that this drive is not self-locking and that the extensible rod member 104 would be free, in the case of disconnection of current input into the electromagnetic coil 120 or of its sections 201. 202. to move axially so that an unintentional blocking or unlocking of the vehicle door would be possible. Such an unintentional or spontaneous movement of the displaceable rod member 104 is prevented by a blocking pin 121 which is pushed by a return spring 123 into the gearing 118 provided on the rod member 104. The cited gearing 118 has consequent¬ ly in this event the function of a latching rack.

An extraction of the blocking pin 121 out of the en¬ gagement with the gearing 118 and consequently releasing of the displaceable rod member 104 is assured by an auxiliary electromagnetic coil 122 which pulls the blocking pin 121 into its interior against the action of the said return spring 123. As considerable shocks are necessary to be taken in account in the case of the present drive, it is advanta¬ geous if the end positions of the displaceable rod member 104 are in addition to the switches 106. 107 (not shown in this embodiment) defined by resilient stops 124. 125, where¬ in one of the said resilient stops can be at the same time provided as a sealing bush for the extensible rod member 104.

One of the most important requirements in all the described embodiments is a necessity of an exact defining of the end position of the displaceable rod 104 member so as to provide that the extensible rod member 104 serving for exam¬ ple as a door bolt of the vehicle door occupies always the same position. The end positions of the rod member 104 are defined by the end position switches 106. 107 and it depends consequently on a correct positioning adjustement of said switches so as to switch-on or switch-off exactly in a pre¬ determined position of the rod member 104. Fig.6 shows that the switches 106. 107 are provided with ramp-like springs 161. 171 which abut, upon engagement of the end of the dis¬ placeable rod 104. onto the switching contact pins 162. 172 of the switches 106. 107. causing their switching-on or switching-off as already discussed in the context of the first embodiment.

From the geometry shown and from the cinematic condi¬ tions it is obvious that a particularly fine adjustement of the end positions of the extensible rod member 104 is obtai¬ ned by an adjustement of the positions of the switches 161. 171 in the radial direction, i.e. perpendicular to the axis of the rod member 104. A radial adjusting device 110 is pro¬ vided to this end, which can comprise adjusting screws like those shown in the embodiments according to fig.l and 2, or as shown in fig.6, a rotatable cam 151 which is in engage¬ ment with a securing screw 153 projecting perpendicularly from an adjusting slide 152 affixed to the contact plate 117. As it is obvious, in rotating the position of the rota¬ table cam 151 the position of the respective switch 106. 107 is changed in the radial direction. The position thus adjusted is subsequently secured by tightening the nut 154 of the securing screw 153 whereby a spontaneous rotation of the cam 151 is prevented.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. An apparatus for control of an extensible rod mem¬ ber of a safety system, in particular for locking a vehicle, by means of an electric driving device with a transmission means, characterized in that adjacent to the rod member (4; 104), slidably mounted within a cavity of a body (5; 105), there are aligned along the rod member (4; 104) two end po¬ sition switches (6, 7; 106, 107), guided by the walls of the cavity of the body (5; 105) and separated from each other by a partition (12) and by a spring (8), wherein on one of the end position switches there abuts against the pressure of the spring (8) an adjusting screw (9) extending through a wall of the body (5) and wherein each of the end position switches (6, 7; 106, 107) carries on its side opposite to the rod member (4; 104) a contact plate affixed to its elec¬ tric leads and provided with a radial adjusting device of the switch, and wherein the rod member (4; 104) is provided in a part of its length with a gearing for an engagement with a transmission means onto its electric driving device (1; 101).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the radial adjusting device is constituted by radial adjusting screws (11, 12) screwed into the contact plate, wherein the heads of the both screws (11, 10) rest against a closing plate of the cavity of the body (5) and are cove¬ red by a cover member (15) provided with openings for the control of the screws.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 characte¬ rized in that the transmission means is constituted by a set of gear wheels (3) wherein the last one of them is in enga¬ gement with a worm means (2) mounted on a shaft of the elec¬ tric driving device (1) constituted by an electric motor, wherein the transmission means and the electric motor (1) are mounted inside the body (5).

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims l to

3 characterized in that the body (5) is provided with moun¬ ting openings (14) for affixing it to a mounting structure.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims l to

4 characterized in that the body (5) is provided with a re¬ cess (13) for mounting of diodes, for example of the diodes of a rectifier.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the electric driving device (101) is constituted by an electric motor (102) with a transmission means (103) ar¬ ranged inside the body of the electric motor, the said elec¬ tric motor (102) being arranged transversally to the exden- sible rod member (104), wherein the output pinion wheel (119) of the electric motor is provided with a spur gearing in engagement with a gearing (118) provided on the extensi¬ ble rod member (104) and wherein the radial adjusting device (110) is constituted by rotatable cams (151) in engagement with the corresponding contact plates (117) of the end posi¬ tion switches (106, 107).

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 characterized in that the rotatable cam (151) is mounted in engagement with an adjusting slide (152), which is coupled with the contact plate (117) and which is engagable on its opposite side by a rotatable cam (151) which in turn is engagable by a securing screw (153).

8. The appratus according to claim 6 characterized in that the electric motor (102) extends with its axis paral¬ lel to the extensible rod member (104) and its output pinion (119) is provided with a worm thread in engagement with the gearing (118) of the extensible rod member (104).

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the electric driving device (101) is constituted by an electromagnetic coil (120) through which the extensible rod member (104) extends axially, wherein a blocking pin (121) extends radially slidably through an auxiliary elect¬ romagnetic coil (122) and engages the gearing (118) of the rod member (104) while a return spring (123) abuts on the end face of the said blocking pin (121), remote from the ex¬ tensible rod member (104).

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 characterized in that the electromagnetic coil (220) is divided in a pair of coaxial sections (201, 202) and the blocking pin (121) is disposed between the said sections (201, 202).