EP3612697B1 - Lock for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a lock for a motor vehicle, in particular a hood lock, comprising a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, a locking bolt and an ejector that interacts with the locking bolt, the locking bolt being able to be brought into a lift-off position by means of the ejector and with at least one electrically actuatable means for moving the locking bolt from the lifting position into a locking position.

Locks or locking systems for motor vehicles are used wherever doors, flaps or movable components on motor vehicles have to be held in order to ensure safe driving of the motor vehicle. While the locking systems primarily serve to hold the movable components in their locking position, more and more convenience functions are coming to the fore today. Doors, flaps or hoods can be electrically operated, for example, during the opening and / or closing process, as a result of which opening of the locking system and / or closing of the movable component is carried out in an electrically assisted manner.

In addition to the comfort properties of electrically operated locking systems, the operating and usage properties of motor vehicles change, for example, when motor vehicles are equipped with electric drives, for example. If there are currently few motor vehicles that have a luggage compartment, for example under a front hood, the trend towards vehicles with an electric drive is increasingly causing the resulting free space to be used as luggage compartment. A luggage compartment can be closed by means of a seal, so that a It is tight against water or dirt, for example. A seal means that when the lock is closed, the locking mechanism, as a securing element, is opposed to a counterpressure. Locking systems for electrically locking a lock are known from the prior art.

So the German patent application discloses DE 10 2013 109 051 A1 an electrically operated lock that deals with minimizing gaps or joints in doors or flaps. The lock known from this is movable, and in particular is mounted so as to be pivotable. Following the locking of the locking mechanism, the lock is moved or pivoted overall by a drive in such a way that a gap between the door or flap and the body is minimized. The drive provided for this purpose comprises an electric motor and a pivotable lever called an oscillator. By pivoting the oscillator by the electric motor, the lock is pivoted as a whole in such a way that the gap is minimized. The lock housing is held by a pawl that is rotatably attached to the rocker. The locking device known from this publication thus comprises a drive with which the lock as a whole and thus also the locking mechanism can be moved in such a way that a door gap or flap gap can be reduced after a door or flap has been closed.

One danger that arises with electrically operated locks is that body parts or objects can become trapped during the electrically operated closing of the lock. In order to prevent pinching, in particular the pinching of body parts, an anti-pinch device has become known from the prior art.

The DE 10 2014 109 111 A1 discloses an electrically operated hood lock, with a locking mechanism comprising a rotary latch and at least a pawl for locking the rotary latch and an electric drive for moving components of the locking device, a control disk which is rotatable by the electric drive and capable of moving a plurality of components by a rotary movement has become known. By pivoting a transmission lever about its axis, the position of the rotary latch can be raised and lowered in order to be able to change a gap between the hood and the body after locking. In order to prevent jamming during closing, the hood is placed on an ejector lever during the closing process, after which the hood is further lowered by an electric motor, the ejector lever being lowered. In this phase, the hood can be lifted at any time as the rotary latch is not yet locked. There is therefore no risk of pinching your fingers. Only after reaching a gap of approx. 4-8 mm is the rotary latch pivoted into its latching position, so that the hood is pivoted into its closed position by means of an electrical drive of the rotary latch. On the one hand, the constructive effort of the closing and the new requirements with regard to overcoming a sealing pressure place new tasks on the development.

From the WO 2015/139678 A1 is a lock for a motor vehicle, having a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and a pawl, a locking bolt, an ejector that interacts with the locking bolt, the locking bolt being able to be brought into a lift-off position by means of the ejector, with at least one electrically actuated means for moving the locking bolt out of the Lifting position into a closed position, a drive lever and a closing lever, the drive lever cooperating with the closing lever, whereby a connection between the drive lever and the rotary latch can only be established by means of the closing lever after a safety position has been reached. This is where the invention comes in.

The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing such a motor vehicle lock in such a way that, on the one hand, a high degree of security can be achieved and, on the other hand, sufficient force can be provided to close the motor vehicle lock. In addition, it is the object of the invention to provide a structurally simple and inexpensive locking system.

The problem is solved by the features of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims. It is pointed out that the exemplary embodiments described below are not restrictive; rather, any 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 lock for a motor vehicle, in particular a hood lock, is provided having a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, a locking bolt and an ejector that interacts with the locking bolt, the locking bolt by means of of the ejector can be brought into a lift-off position and with at least one electrically operated means for moving the locking bolt from the lift-off position into a closed position, wherein the drive lever can be brought into engagement with the ejector, the electrically operated means serves to pivot the drive lever and the drive lever with it a closing lever cooperates, wherein a connection of the drive lever with the rotary latch can only be established by means of the closing lever after a securing position has been reached. The construction of the lock according to the invention now makes it possible to provide an anti-jamming device with which the motor vehicle lock can be securely closed and, moreover, a secure and sufficiently powerful one Provide locking system in order to transfer a movable component in an electrically operated manner into a closed position.

In particular, due to the separation between the closed position and the safety position and the engagement of the drive lever only at a point in time at which the safety position of the component to be moved, for example an engine hood, is reached, it is possible that the component to be moved until the safety position is reached at any time be opened so that jamming can be prevented. Here, the invention differentiates between drive lever and closing lever, as separate components that interact but are releasably connected to one another. Only through the connection of the drive lever via the closing lever to the rotary latch is an active closing of the engine hood, for example, carried out, at which point in time jamming can be prevented by the safety position.

Here, hood locks are preferably used as locking systems for motor vehicles. But it is also conceivable to use the lock according to the invention for flaps, covers, sliding doors or side doors. The motor vehicle locks encompassed by the invention are used where electrical actuation, that is to say electrically assisted closing and / or opening, is to be made possible. Such electrically operated motor vehicle locks are also referred to as servo locks.

Common to all of these locking systems is a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, the rotary latch being able to be held in a locked position by means of the pawl. There are single-stage locking mechanisms from a preliminary catch and a main catch as well as systems with one or two pawls are used. The invention is preferably directed to a locking mechanism with a main locking position and a locking pawl, although this is not restrictive.

The locking mechanism interacts with a locking bolt. The locking bolt can be attached to the motor vehicle body or, for example, can be mounted on a flap or hood. If the locking system is used, for example, in the area of a hood, the locking bolts are preferably mounted on the hood. The hood is then closed by moving the hood in the direction of the locking system and being able to be placed on an ejector.

The ejector is part of the motor vehicle locking system and interacts with the locking bolt, the locking bolt being able to be brought into a lift-off position by means of the ejector. The lift-off position is the position in which the hood, for example, rests on the ejector and is held in the lift-off position by the ejector. The ejector is preferably spring-loaded. After opening the locking mechanism and thus releasing the locking bolt, the locking bolt can be moved into the lifting position by means of the ejector and in particular by the force of the spring acting on the ejector.

The servo lock or the electrically operated lock has an electrically operated means for moving the locking bolt from the lift-off position into a closed position. The locking position is determined by the fact that the locking bolt and thus the movable component are in their secured position on the motor vehicle. The hood, door and / or flap is closed. The locking bolt is held in the locked ratchet and is preferably in a main locking position.

A drive lever can be brought into engagement with the ejector in order to transfer the locking bolt from the lifting position into the locking position. The drive lever can be operated electrically and is able to move the ejector and thus the locking bolt into the safety position against the force of the spring. Only when the locking position is reached, in which jamming can be prevented, does the drive lever interact with a closing lever so that the locking bolt can be transferred from the locking position into the locking position.

An advantageous embodiment variant of the invention results when the closing lever can be brought into positive engagement with the rotary latch in the securing position. A form-fitting engagement of the closing lever in the rotary latch enables a secure transmission of force from the closing lever to the rotary latch, so that the transmission of high forces, such as are necessary for the closing against a seal, can be made possible. The closing lever can, for example, engage positively in the rotary latch so that, on the one hand, a secure transmission of the force and, on the other hand, a secure movement of the rotary latch can also be made possible within the scope of a pivoting movement.

It can also be advantageous if the rotary latch can be brought into engagement with the locking bolt in a form-fitting manner in the securing position. The positive engagement of the rotary latch in the locking bolt in turn enables the secure transmission of high forces, so that the locking bolt and in particular, for example, a hood of a motor vehicle, can be moved into the closed position against the pressure of a seal. This ensures that jamming is prevented because the locking position is only reached at a point in time when the locking bolt and thus the component located on the locking bolt is in a position in which the locking position can prevent at least one body part from being trapped. If the locking bolt is round and / or cylindrical, for example executed, the rotary latch can also have a round and / or cylindrical recess which can be brought into engagement with the locking bolt in order to reach the securing position.

The locking system is constructed in such a way that the rotary latch can already be brought into engagement with the locking bolt in the lift-off position. In particular, by lowering or moving the ejector, the rotary latch is also pivoted. Only through the interaction of the pivoting movement of the rotary latch and the electrically operated pivoting movement of the ejector does the rotary latch reach the securing position, so that the closing lever can be brought into engagement with the rotary latch. This securing measure also prevents premature tightening and thus jamming.

If the rotary latch can be pivoted by means of the closing lever, wherein the rotary latch can be transferred from a securing position to a closed position, this results in a further advantageous embodiment variant of the invention. If the rotary latch arrives in a securing position, the closing lever is able to interact with the rotary latch. When the locking position is reached and the closing lever engages in the rotary latch, the rotary latch can be moved with the closing lever. The rotary latch preferably executes a pivoting movement, the closing lever being movable by the drive lever in the direction of the rotary latch. By means of the closing lever, the rotary latch can be pivoted so far that a pawl interacting with the rotary latch can be brought into engagement with the rotary latch. The closing lever can preferably pivot the rotary latch so far that the rotary latch reaches an overtravel position, so that secure engagement of the pawl in the rotary latch can be ensured. The overtravel position is characterized in that the rotary latch is pivoted beyond the closed position, so that sufficient play can be made available for the pawl to engage in the rotary latch. The pawl is preferably brought into engagement with the rotary latch in a spring-loaded manner.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the securing position can be determined by a closed position of a component movably connected to the motor vehicle, a closed position being definable by a gap between the movable component and the motor vehicle body, and a closed position as a securing position with a gap of ≤ 10 mm, preferably ≤ 6 mm and more preferably ≤ 4 mm can be achieved. Reaching the securing position is thus determined by the movable component and in particular by the distance between the movable component and the motor vehicle body. With a gap dimension of <10 mm and preferably 6 mm, it can be ensured that no body part can get into the gap between the movable component and the body. Trapping can thus be prevented and reliable trapping protection can be implemented. If, on the one hand, anti-trap protection can be implemented, an invisible joint can also be made possible. A zero joint is determined by the fact that the movable component comes to rest against another component of the motor vehicle. This is a goal in the development of motor vehicles, for example for optical reasons or because of a reduction in the air resistance of the motor vehicle.

If the closing lever has a recess, wherein the recess can be brought into engagement with the rotary latch, a further advantageous embodiment of the inventive concept can be achieved. If the catch has, for example, an undercut or an extension into which the closing lever can be engaged, on the one hand the closing lever can be safely engaged in the catch and on the other hand the lever ratios between the closing lever and the catch are adjustable. In this way, the forces available when pulling the movable component can be influenced in an advantageous manner, and at the same time a safe movement of the rotary latch can be made possible.

It can also be advantageous if the rotary latch has an extension, in particular a cylinder pin, wherein the extension can be brought into engagement with the closing lever. A cylinder pin is an inexpensive component that can also be easily connected to the rotary latch. In addition, a pin-like extension forms favorable engagement conditions for the closing lever, since the cylindrical contact surface can provide the same engagement conditions for the closing lever on the rotary latch at all times.

In fact, the drive lever interacts alternately with the ejector to move the locking bolt from the lift-off position into the locking position and with the closing lever to move the locking bolt from the locking position into the locking position. This interaction of drive lever, ejector and closing lever makes it possible to design the power transmission between the drive lever, ejector and closing lever in relation to the necessary force. If it is particularly advantageous if the ejector and thus, for example, the hood moves rapidly during the movement, the interaction of the drive lever and the ejector can produce a small transmission ratio during the passive lowering. The interaction of the drive lever and the closing lever with a high transmission ratio can advantageously provide a high force so that suitable moments can be made available for closing the lock or for moving the locking bolt into the closed position.

Advantageously, the drive lever can be pivotably mounted in a lock case of the lock. The drive lever is accommodated in the motor vehicle lock independently of the ejector, the rotary latch and the closing lever. Due to the separate mounting of the drive lever, optimal engagement conditions between the ejector, closing lever and rotary latch can be achieved will be realized. In particular, the transmission ratios between the drive lever, ejector and closing lever are structurally favorable and easily adjustable.

It can also be advantageous and form a further embodiment of the invention if the closing lever can be guided and / or supported in the drive lever. A structurally favorable and thus advantageous mounting for the closing lever results when the closing lever can be mounted directly on the drive lever. The closing lever can have a guide for the drive lever so that the drive lever can be guided, for example, to move or move the ejector in the closing lever without the closing lever supporting or influencing the closing process. The closing lever can, for example, be guided in the lock or lock case and be supported on the drive lever. Only during the transfer of the locking bolt from the locking position to the locking position does the drive lever move the closing lever and, for example, come into force-transmitting engagement with the closing lever in the guide. The structure of the motor vehicle lock according to the invention makes it possible to provide an improved locking system that can ensure the highest level of security for the operator. 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 an embodiment.

Figur 1

ein lediglich teilweise dargestelltes Kraftfahrzeugschloss gemäß der Erfindung in einer Seitenansicht in einer Abhebeposition, wobei der Schließbolzen auf dem Auswerfer aufliegt und ein Fanghaken außer Eingriff mit dem Schließbolzen gebracht ist,

Figur 2

das Schloss gemäß der Figur 1 in einer Abhebeposition,

Figur 3

das Schloss gemäß der Figur 1 in einer Sicherungsposition, und

Figur 4

das Schloss gemäß der Figur 1 in einer Schließposition.

It shows:

Figure 1

a only partially shown motor vehicle lock according to the invention in a side view in a lift-off position, wherein the locking bolt rests on the ejector and a catch hook is disengaged from the locking bolt,

Figure 2

the lock according to the Figure 1 in a lift-off position,

Figure 3

the lock according to the Figure 1 in a secured position, and

Figure 4

the lock according to the Figure 1 in a closed position.

In the Figure 1 a motor vehicle lock 1 is shown in certain areas. The lock 1 comprises a lock case, a rotary latch 3, a pawl 4, a drive lever 5, an ejector 6, a closing lever 7, a catch hook 8 and two electrical actuating means in the form of miniature drives 9, 10. A locking bolt 11 lies on the ejector 6 on, whereby the lifting position of the lock can be determined.

Rotary latch 3 and pawl 4 form the locking mechanism, the pawl 4 being able to be locked into the rotary latch 3 and in particular into an extension 12. The extension 12 engages in a hook-shaped contour 13 of the pawl 4. In the present form, the pawl 4 is pretensioned in the counterclockwise direction by means of a spring and rests against a stop 14 in the lock case 2, for example. By means of the adjusting means 10, the pawl 3 can be moved clockwise in the direction of the arrow P1. The adjusting means can, for example, be a linear small drive which can pivot the pawl 4 clockwise and thus move it into a position in which the pawl 4 disengages from the rotary latch 3.

The ejector 6 is accommodated in the lock case 2 so as to be pivotable about an axis 15. The ejector 6 is _{biased clockwise by the force F F of} a spring (not shown). The spring force F _F keeps the ejector 6 in the Figure 1 position shown, so that the locking bolt 11 and consequently, for example, a hood can be held in the lift-off position. The locking bolt 11 is out of engagement with the rotary latch 3 and rests loosely on the ejector 6 and the rotary latch 3. The ejector 6 has a first contact surface 16 and a second contact surface 17. The locking bolt 11 rests on the first contact surface 16, which can be formed, for example, from a fold on the ejector 6. The drive lever 5 acts on the second contact surface 17. The ejector can be manufactured, for example, as a stamped sheet metal part from steel, with the contact surfaces 16, 17 being able to be in the form of bevels, for example.

The drive lever 5 acts with a driver 18 on the ejector. The drive lever 5 is in turn received in the lock case 2 so as to be pivotable about the axis 19. The drive lever 5 also has a bearing, drive and guide pin 20. The pin 20 serves on the one hand to support the closing lever 7 and to drive the closing lever 7.

The drive lever 5 is actuated by means of a closing drive 21 and by means of, for example, a Bowden cable 22, shown only in dashed lines. _{A force F B can be introduced} into the drive lever 5 by the Bowden cable 22. By means of the closing drive 21, the drive lever is thus moved around the axis 19 in a clockwise direction.

The closing lever 7 has a guide groove 23 in which the pin 20 can be guided. The closing lever 7 can in turn rest against a bolt 24 on the ejector 6 and can thus be securely guided in the lock 1. The closing lever 7 has a recess 25 which can be brought into engagement with the extension 12 of the rotary latch 3 in a form-fitting manner.

The catch hook 8 can be brought into engagement with the locking bolt 11. The catch hook 8 is preferably spring-loaded in the direction of the locking bolt 11 and would engage in the locking bolt 11 without the electrical adjusting means 9. The locking bolt 11 is preferably designed as a bracket, so that the catch hook 8 can engage in the locking bolt 11. In the embodiment shown, the catch hook 8 has been moved by the adjusting means 9 in the direction of arrow P2 and, in particular, has been pivoted clockwise in the direction of arrow P2. The catch hook can be pivotably received in the lock case 2 or in a part of the lock case 2 (not shown).

In the Figures 2, 3 and 4 is the closing process by the lock designed according to the invention based on the positions of the lifting position in the Figure 2 , Backup position in the Figure 3 and closed position in position 4.

In the lifting position A, the locking bolt 11 rests on the rotary latch 3 and the ejector 6, the locking bolt 11 being held in the lifting position A by the ejector 6 and partly also by the counterclockwise spring-loaded rotary latch 3. The drive lever 5 is in its starting position.

In the Figure 3 the backup position S is reproduced. The drive lever 5 was pivoted clockwise by the closing drive 21 and in particular by the Bowden cable 22. As a result of the pivoting movement, the ejector 6 was pivoted counterclockwise about its axis 15, so that the locking bolt 11 and in particular the locking bolt 11 in combination with a load of a hood in the locking position S emotional. The pivoting movement of the ejector 6 simultaneously causes the rotary latch 3 to be pivoted clockwise around the axis 26 by the locking bolt 11, so that a cylinder bolt 27 comes into the engagement area of the recess 25 of the closing lever 7. In this securing position S, the rotary latch 3 engages positively with the locking bolt 11 and the closing lever 7 engages the bolt 27. At the same time, the pin 20 reaches the end of the guide groove 23, whereby the guide pin 20 is able to apply a force to transmit the closing lever 7.

The Figure 4 shows the main locking position HR or locking position HR of the locking mechanism, in which the locking bolt 11 is in the locking position. The rotary latch 3 is in engagement with the pawl 4, so that the locking mechanism is closed and the locking bolt 11 is secured in its position. The closed position HR was reached in that the drive lever 5 was pivoted further clockwise by the force FB of the closing drive 21. As a result of this movement, the pin 20 moves the rotary latch 3 into the closed position HR.

How clear from the Figures 2 and 3 As can be seen, a transmission ratio is provided by the drive lever and in particular the engagement conditions of the drive lever 5 on the ejector 6, with which a rapid, that is to say rapid lowering of the locking bolt 11 is possible. After reaching the securing position S, the drive lever primarily interacts with the closing lever 7, which results in a greater transmission ratio and a large force can be made available to close the rotary latch or to move the locking bolt 11 into the main detent position HR. Due to the combination and in particular the interaction of the drive lever 5, ejector 6 and closing lever 7, a safe and in particular the tightness of a door, hood or flap moved by the lock according to the invention can be guaranteed.

List of reference symbols

1

lock

2

Lock case

3

Rotary latch

4th

Pawl

5

Drive lever

6th

Ejector

7th

Closing lever

8th

Catch hook

9, 10

Thickening agent

11

Locking bolt

12th

renewal

13th

contour

14th

attack

15,19,26

axis

16

first contact surface

17th

second contact surface

18th

Carrier

20th

Bearing, closing and guide pins

21

Closing drive

22nd

Bowden cable

23

Guide groove

24, 27

bolt

25th

Recess

P1, P2

arrow

FF

Spring force

FB

Power bowden cable

Claims (11)

1. Latch (1) for a motor vehicle, in particular a hood latch, comprising a locking mechanism having a catch (3) and at least one pawl (4), a locking bolt (11), and an ejector (6) which interacts with the locking bolt (11), it being possible for the locking bolt (11) to be brought into a lift-off position (A) by means of the ejector (6), and having at least one electrically operable means (21) for moving the locking bolt (11) from the lift-off position (A) into a closed position (HR), a drive lever (5), and a closure lever (7), the drive lever (5) interacting with the closure lever (7), it being possible to establish a connection between the drive lever (5) and the catch (3) by means of the closure lever (7) only after a securing position (S) has been reached, and the electrically operable means (21) being used to pivot the drive lever (5), characterized in that the drive lever (5) can be brought into engagement with the ejector (6).
2. Latch (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure lever (7) can be brought into engagement with the drive lever (5) only after a securing position (S) has been reached,
3. Latch (1) according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the closure lever (7) can be brought into engagement with the catch (3) in an interlocking manner in the securing position (S).
4. Latch (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the catch (3) can be brought into engagement with the locking bolt (11) in an interlocking manner in the securing position (S).
5. Latch according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the catch (3) can be pivoted by means of the closure lever (7), the catch (3) being transferable from a securing position (S) to a closed position (HR).
6. Latch (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the securing position (HR) can be determined by a closed state of a component that is movably connected to the motor vehicle, it being possible to define a closed state by a gap size between the movable component and the motor vehicle body, and it being possible to achieve a closed state as a securing position (S) with a gap size of ≤ 10 mm, preferably ≤ 6 mm, and even more preferably ≤ 4 mm.
7. Latch (1) according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the closure lever (7) has a recess (25), it being possible to bring the recess (25) Into engagement with the catch (3).
8. Latch (1) according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the catch (3) has an extension (27), in particular a cylindrical pin (27), it being possible to bring the extension (27) into engagement with the closure lever (7).
9. Latch (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the drive lever (5) interacts alternately with the ejector (6) in order to transfer the locking bolt (11) from the lift-off position (A) to the securing position (S), and with the closure lever (7) In order to transfer the locking bolt (11) from the securing position (S) to the closed position (HR).
10. Latch (1) according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the drive lever (5) can be pivotably mounted in a latch case (2).
11. Latch (1) according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the closure lever (7) can be guided and/or mounted in the drive lever (5).

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