EP3514306B1 - Assembly for a closing system of a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an assembly for a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1.

In particular, the invention relates to an assembly which forms part of a locking system for a door or flap of a motor vehicle. The assembly has a mechanical locking device which can assume an unlocking and a locking position. Such a locking device is used in cars in door locks or rear locks, where mechanical interlocking is carried out between two parts that move against one another.

While in mechanically operated locking devices, a user of the vehicle operates a handle and this operation is transmitted to the locking device by a mechanical chain of action, in the case of electric locks (e-latch) signals are given to an electrical actuator which is coupled to the mechanical locking device for actuation . A continuous mechanical knitting chain is not available with electric door locks. However, there are also numerous mechanical locks in which an electrical actuator causes a change in the state of the locking device (e.g. in the case of central locking systems or in general in the case of locking devices whose state can be changed by wireless remote controls). Such an actuator then adjusts the mechanical locking device and can change it accordingly between a locking position (door or flap closed and secured against opening), an unlocking position (locking device can be lifted by the operator) and an open position (locking device out of engagement - door or flap open) cause.

It is also known that electrical actuation inevitably leads to a problem if one There is no power supply to the actuator and therefore actuation of the locking device driven by electrical energy is no longer possible. There are systems for this, such as the document DE 10 2016 010 244 A1 describes which provide manual emergency operation.

The document DE 10 2015 108 269 A1 discloses a locking system with an optionally fixed vehicle door handle and an electrical emergency supply, which comprises a generator for generating electrical energy. The generator can be driven by a user to power the locking system.

The object of the invention is to find an alternative arrangement of the elements of the assembly with high reliability and access security.

This object is achieved by an assembly for a motor vehicle with the features of claim 1.

The assembly of the type mentioned at the outset is characterized in that the locking device, the control and communication device, the energy store, the actuator and the generator device are fixed to a carrier which is designed for mounting on a door or flap of a vehicle, with a fixed handle is coupled to the carrier, which is designed to be gripped by a user and wherein the actuating means of the generator device is arranged on the handle or adjacent to the handle.

The invention thus provides in the assembly for a motor vehicle all components in a coupling that is autonomous from the rest of the vehicle and that are required for an emergency release of a motor vehicle.

The actuator, in turn, is coupled to the mechanical locking device and can be controlled in order to effect a change between the locking position and the unlocking position of the mechanical locking device.

An energy store is part of the assembly, which is coupled to the control and communication device and also the actuator for the temporary supply thereof. The Energy storage supplies these relevant components (control and communication device and actuator) for temporary emergency operation when a central energy storage is not available on a vehicle.

Furthermore, the assembly contains a generator device which can be driven manually via an actuating means for charging the energy store.

The actuating means can be reached by a user, who can charge the energy store by handling and movement. In principle, all known types of generators can be used for this, in particular generators working according to the dynamo principle.

The control and communication device is designed in such a way that, if there is an energy supply, the Energy storage a communication link between the control and communication device and an external communication device can be established. For this purpose, the control and communication device can provide a wired interface to which an external communication device can be connected via a cable connection, or a wireless communication connection, in particular according to a wireless radio standard, can be provided. Depending on the communication carried out, in particular an authorization check of the external communication device and / or data stored thereon, the control and communication device causes the actuator to move the locking device from the locking position to the unlocking position. For this process, the electric actuator is also supplied from the charged energy store. The actuator can move the locking device beyond the unlocking position into an open position - but this is not absolutely necessary.

The invention makes it possible to maintain the electrical operation for releasing the blocking effect of the blocking device, for which purpose an autonomous control and communication device is used which can be operated independently of the central vehicle components by means of the rechargeable energy stores. If the energy store is sufficiently charged so that the control and communication device is ready for operation, it is available for establishing a communication connection.

An authorization means carried by the user, for example a cell phone with authorization data stored thereon or a chip card or a mobile radio key, serve as a means of legitimation, can serve as an external communication device, the data content of which in a Communication is transmitted to the control and communication device, so that only authorized persons can unlock the mechanical locking device. A user can couple the external communication device to the control and communication device and transmit the authorization data that are stored on the external communication device or can be queried there. After checking the authorization data, the control and communication device controls the actuator to bring the mechanical locking device from the locking position to the unlocking position.

The control and communication device is in an idle state and can be completely inoperative when the energy store is empty. Only when the energy store is charged by manipulation and actuation of the actuating means of the generator device by the user does the control and communication device come to life and is ready for communication with an external communication device. Accordingly, the control and communication device exists within the assembly according to the invention in addition to one or more central control and communication devices which control an actuator in normal normal operation in order to actuate the mechanical locking device as desired. However, the actuator of the assembly according to the invention can be the same actuator that is also responsible for the adjustment of the mechanical locking device in normal operation.

According to the invention, the assembly is designed with a carrier on which the components of the assembly, namely the locking device, the control and communication device, the energy store, the actuator and the generator device are fixed.

When placed on a vehicle, such an assembly can be installed in a compact design with the corresponding emergency actuation functionality. Since the components of the module, as far as they are required for emergency operation, do not require an external power supply, no wiring is required in this regard. The structure of such an assembly can correspond to known door handle or rear lock structures with regard to the arrangement of the carrier, there are well known mountable supports on the door panel from the area of vehicle door handles and rear locks. Such carriers have sufficient installation space to accommodate the components for an emergency actuation in addition to other components of the locking system.

According to the invention, a fixed handle, which is designed to be gripped by a user, is also arranged with the carrier of the assembly, the actuating means of the generator device being placed on the handle itself or adjacent to the handle.

The assembly of the advantageous design mentioned combines the effect and the purpose of a handle for the actuation of a door or flap on the vehicle with the emergency actuation. Accordingly, the same module and the handle of this module can be attacked in order to unlock a door or flap both in normal operation of a vehicle and in emergency operation. The direct common arrangement of the control and communication device and the energy storage device and the generator device on the carrier of an accessible handle on the vehicle further ensure short cable routes and a problem-free approach to the generator device and the control and communication device by the user. This means that the generator operation by the user and the problem-free construction favored a communication link due to the easy accessibility.

In a development of the embodiment mentioned, the actuating means can be rotated or deflected independently of the handle in order to drive the generator device and to charge the energy store.

With electric door locks, the door handles are often designed as locked, so-called fixed door handles. For safety reasons, it may be desirable to design these door handles to be fixed and without any possibility of deflection. In such a case, the arrangement of the actuating means, regardless of the handle itself, makes sense. The handle can then be fixed in a particularly stable manner on the carrier or door panel, while the actuating means are easily accessible and operable for the user in an emergency. In particular, the actuating means can be arranged in the immediate vicinity of the handle, for example on or under a cap which, in one end region, merges into the body of the handle in alignment. There are already mechanical door locks in which a mechanical locking cylinder for an emergency function is provided under a cap in the area of a handle. With such a cap and instead of a corresponding mechanical locking cylinder, the actuating means for the generator drive can be arranged.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the generator device is designed with a linear generator or a rotary generator. Such generator devices are known in the prior art and can also be carried permanently on the vehicle in a robust design. These generator devices convert the turning operation or pulling or pushing operation of a user into electrical energy, which is conducted to charge the energy store. Which of the generator devices mentioned is preferably used depends on in particular from the available space in which the systems differ in the arrangement on the carrier.

It is preferred that the energy store is a short-term energy store and has at least one capacitor.

The use of capacitors, on the one hand, provides a quick and low-loss charging option and, on the other hand, ensures that the control and communication device does not remain active for an undesirably long period of time. Capacitors can be charged and discharged quickly, so that a discharge after restoration of the on-board supply of a vehicle is possible without any problems, which results in the functionality of the control and communication device being canceled. Furthermore, capacitors with the appropriate encapsulation on the vehicle retain their ability to store electrical energy for a long time and are mechanically stable.

It is particularly preferred that the control and communication device has a transceiver device which is designed for wireless radio communication.

As stated above, a coupling of the external communication device to the control and communication device of the assembly according to the invention is in principle also possible by means of wired connections, but wireless radio communication provides particular universality. In particular when using standardized radio protocols, for example Bluetooth, such a connection is compatible with most portable communication devices which serve as external communication devices in the sense of the invention. Communication interfaces for emergency operation can thus be made available for a large number of devices. Such interfaces can be provided as pure software solutions, in particular as freely available applications for mobile devices.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuator has an interface via which it can be coupled to a central control device of a vehicle and can be controlled via this interface in order to effect a change between the locked position and the unlocked position of the mechanical locking device.

As already mentioned above, the actuator of the assembly according to the invention can be a separate actuator that is not used in normal operation of the vehicle. However, if the same actuator is used for normal operation and emergency operation for reasons of weight and cost, the actuator can still be arranged in the assembly, but coupled to the central control device of the vehicle via an interface for normal operation (supplied by a central energy storage device of the vehicle) be controllable. In normal operation, the control and communication device of the assembly according to the invention is not supplied with energy and is not available for controlling the actuator. In this normal operation, the central vehicle system then provides both the energy supply to the actuator and its control. Such an assembly advantageously uses the same resources of the actuator in all operating modes.

In a development of the invention, the control and communication device is designed to measure the state of charge of the energy store and to control the actuator only when the state of charge exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

In this advantageous embodiment, the control and communication device ensures that the state of charge of the energy store is sufficient to enable the blocking effect to be completely removed. This prevents partial unlocking.

It is particularly preferred if the control and communication device determines the state of charge of the energy store transmitted to the external communication device via the communication link.

If the state of charge of the energy store is transmitted to the external communication device, feedback can take place there to a user who drives the generator via the actuating means. The latter can then see the success of his efforts from the increasing state of charge and receives information about the increasing state of charge.

• Figur 1a zeigt schematisch eine erste Ausführungsform der Erfindung bei Normalzustand des Fahrzeuges;
• Figur 1b zeigt schematisch die erste Ausführungsform der Erfindung bei Notbetrieb des Fahrzeuges;
• Figur 2a zeigt eine zweite Ausführungsform der Erfindung mit einem Lineargenerator im Ruhezustand;
• Figur 2b zeigt die Ausführungsform aus Figur 2a im Betätigungszustand des Generators;
• Figur 3a zeigt ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung mit einem Drehgenerator in Ruhestellung;
• Figur 3b zeigt die Ausführungsform aus Figur 3a mit freigelegtem Betätigungselement;
• Figur 3c zeigt die Ausführungsform aus den Figuren 3a und 3b mit betätigtem Betätigungselement.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures.

• Figure 1a schematically shows a first embodiment of the invention in the normal state of the vehicle;
• Figure 1b schematically shows the first embodiment of the invention in emergency operation of the vehicle;
• Figure 2a shows a second embodiment of the invention with a linear generator in the idle state;
• Figure 2b shows the embodiment Figure 2a in the operating state of the generator;
• Figure 3a shows a third embodiment of the invention with a rotary generator in the rest position;
• Figure 3b shows the embodiment Figure 3a with exposed actuator;
• Figure 3c shows the embodiment of the Figures 3a and 3b with actuated actuator.

In Figure 1a an assembly 1 is shown in a schematic representation. The assembly contains a control and communication device 2, an energy store 3, a generator device 4, an actuator 5 and a locking device 6. The assembly 1 can contain these components on a common carrier, which is designed to be arranged on the door or flap of a vehicle . A central vehicle control device 7 is not part of the assembly according to the invention, but is in the in Figure 1 Normal operation shown via a control and supply line 7 a with the actuator 5 coupled. In the in Figure 1a Normal operation shown, the central control device 7 takes over the actuation of the actuator 5, which when actuated can move the closing device 6 between an unlocked position and a locked position. The locking device 6 is a movable mechanical locking device, for example a rotary latch or a hook, which can engage in a corresponding counterpart in a door or flap in order to lock it against opening.

The control and communication device 2 is also coupled to the actuator 5 via lines. In the state out Figure 1a However, the energy store 3 is discharged, so that the control and communication device 2 is not supplied and is out of operation.

If the central energy supply of a motor vehicle fails, the central control device 7 is no longer able to supply and actuate the actuator 5. In Figure 1b it is shown accordingly that the control and supply connection 7 a from the central control device 7 to the actuator 5 is interrupted. The energy store 3 is charged by actuating the generator 4, which a user excites by manipulating an actuating means. The energy store 3 can in particular contain one or more capacitors which are charged by the generator via a charging circuit (not shown). As soon as the energy store 3 is sufficiently charged, the control and communication device 2 has energy available, which leads to a start of the control and communication device 2. For this purpose, it can in particular be provided that a permanent memory transfers a corresponding executable program for execution to a microcontroller as soon as sufficient energy is available. The control and communication device 2 is thus started up when the available energy is sufficient. The control and communication device 2 checks after starting up, the state of charge of the energy store 3 and provides readiness for communication via a Bluetooth connection 10. An external communication device 8 can couple to the control and communication device 2 via the Bluetooth connection 10. The state of charge of the energy store 3 is then displayed on the external communication device 8. For this purpose, in particular an application can be executed on the external communication device 8, which is authorized by the vehicle manufacturer and handles the communication with the control and communication device 2. When connection 10 is established, authorization information can also be queried on device 8. For this purpose, for example, the acquisition of biometric features of the user or the transfer of activation information from the manufacturer to the external communication device 8 may be necessary. For example, the user can use the device 8 and after receiving an identifier from the control and communication device 2 to establish a connection to the vehicle manufacturer and request a one-time authorization there. The manufacturer can send such authorization, for example in the form of a transaction number, to the external communication device 8 depending on an identification of the user. If the information for the authentication check is then transmitted from the external communication device 8 to the control and communication device 2, the latter can check the authorization of the user to release the door lock. If sufficient energy is available in the energy store 3, the actuator 5, which is likewise supplied from the energy store 3, can be activated to unlock the locking device 6 in the event of a successful authentication test.

Figure 2a shows an example of a second embodiment of the invention.

A carrier 20 is designed to be arranged on the inside of a door panel of a motor vehicle. Such carriers are known in the area of vehicle door handles. A handle 21 arranged on the outside of the door panel is designed for the attack of a user to operate the door. The handle 21 has lugs (hidden) which reach through the door panel in recesses and are anchored in the carrier 20. A linear generator 22 is arranged on the carrier. The linear generator 22 is located on the carrier side behind a cap 23, which is arranged adjacent to the handle 21 on the outside of the assembly. The cap 23 is coupled to the linear generator 22 such that a deflection of the cap 23 causes the linear generator 22 to be actuated.

In Figure 2b a deflection of the cap 23 as an actuating means for energy conversion in the generator 22 is shown. The other components, in particular the control and evaluation circuit and the energy store and also the mechanical locking device, are not shown in this illustration, since the actuation principle for converting energy is to be explained. However, all components are also arranged on the carrier 20 on the inside of the door, that is to say on the side of the linear generator 22.

Figure 3a shows a further embodiment of the invention. Again, a handle 21 is arranged on the carrier 20. In this exemplary embodiment, however, a rotary generator 25 is placed on the inside of the handle 20. The cap 26 is removable from the device as in FIG Figure 3b shown. If the cap 26 is removed, the ring of an actuating means 27 is exposed, which can be gripped by a user 28.

In Figure 3c it is shown how the user 28 actuates the ring with a subsequent cable pull for converting the energy of the rotary generator. By pressing several times in the Embodiments of the Figures 2a, 2b and 3a to 3c the state of charge of the energy store can be increased.

The arrangement of the actuating means of the generator directly on the handle, as in the Figures 2a-3c shown, offers the user both an intuitive option for actuation and an extremely compact design and simple arrangement of the components on the vehicle. This embodiment provides the user with an intuitively understandable operating concept for emergencies. The actuation of the cap on the handle is easily accessible and yet the mechanical integrity of the handle itself is not impaired.

Claims (8)

1. An assembly (1) for a motor vehicle, having:

   a mechanical blocking device (6) which can assume an unlocking position and a locking position,

   an electrical actuator (5) which is coupled to the mechanical blocking device (6) and can be actuated to effect a change between the locking position and the unlocking position of the mechanical blocking device (6),

   a control and communications device (2) being coupled to the actuator (5),

   an energy store (3) being coupled for temporarily supplying the control and communications device (2) and the actuator (5),

   having a generator device (4) which can be driven manually via an operating means (23; 27) to charge the energy store (3),

   the control and communications device (2) being designed to establish a communications link (10) to an external communications unit (8) when there is an energy supply and, depending on communication carried out, to actuate the actuator (5) in order to bring the blocking device (6) from the locking position into the unlocking position,

   characterised in that

   the blocking device (6), the control and communications device (2), the energy store (3), the actuator (5) and the generator device (4) are fixed to a support (20) which is designed for mounting on a door or hatch of a vehicle, wherein a stationary handle (21) is coupled to the support (20), said handle being designed to be grasped by a user, and wherein the operating means (23; 27) of the generator device (4) is arranged on the handle (21) or adjacently to the handle (21).
2. The assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the operating means (23; 27) can be rotated or deflected relative to the handle.
3. The assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the generator device (4) has a linear generator (22) or a rotary generator (25).
4. The assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy store (3) is a short-term energy store and has at least one capacitor.
5. The assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control and communications device (2) has a transceiver device which is designed for wireless radio communication (10).
6. The assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuator (5) has an interface via which it can be coupled to a central control device (7) of a vehicle and can be actuated via said interface in order to effect a change between the locking position and the unlocking position of the mechanical blocking device (6).
7. The assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control and communications device (2) is designed to measure a state of charge of the energy store (3) and to actuate the actuator (5) only when the state of charge exceeds a predefined threshold value.
8. The assembly according to Claim 7, wherein the control and communications device (2) transmits the state of charge of the energy store (3) to the external communications unit via the communications link (10).

Images