Motor vehicle lock

• US 20050218661A1
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Schließsysteme Gmbh & Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Brose Schließsysteme Gmbh & Co. Kg
• Inventors: Kachouh, Checrallah, Brose, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 7,568,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/216
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/26 specially adapted for child safety
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/28 for anti-theft purposes, e.g. double-locking or super-locking
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/06 using rotary motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/14 operating on bolt detents, e.g. for unlatching the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/16 operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/62 for opening or closing of a circuit depending on electrical parameters, e.g. increase of motor current
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/23 Vehicle door latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

Motor vehicle lock with a ratchet, latch, actuation lever, internal actuation chain, external actuation chain and a control, the ratchet having an engagement position in which it holds the latch in the closed position, and a raised position in which the latch is released, the ratchet being movable from the engagement position into the raised position by the actuating lever, the control having different operating states and depending on the state, the ratchet is actuatable via the actuation lever by the internal actuation chain from an inside door handle and/or by the external actuation chain from an outside door handle or not at all. In the base state, the internal actuation chain and the external actuation chain are coupled to the actuation lever and the internal actuation chain and/or the external actuation chain can be decoupled from the actuation lever by the control depending on the operating state.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle lock, comprising:

a ratchet,

a latch,

an actuation lever,

an internal actuation force transmission chain,

an external actuation force transmission chain, and

a control means for controlling operation of the lock,

wherein the ratchet has an engagement position in which it holds the latch in a closed position, and has a raised position in which the latch is released, the ratchet being movable from the engagement position into the raised position by means of the actuating lever,

wherein the control means has a plurality of different operating states and depending on the operating state of the control means, the ratchet is actuatable via at least one of the actuation lever by means of the internal actuation force transmission chain from an inside door handle and by means of the external actuation force transmission chain from an outside door handle and can be precluded from being actuated at all, the control means having a base state in which the internal actuation force transmission chain and the external actuation force transmission chain are coupled to the actuation lever and

wherein the internal actuation force transmission chain and the external actuation force transmission chain are adapted to be decoupled from the actuation lever by the control means depending on the operating state.

2. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the internal actuation force transmission chain and the external actuation force transmission chain is supported with respect to the actuation lever such that said one of said force transmission chains is not entrained by means of the other of said force transmission chains when the actuation lever is actuated.

3. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least on of the internal actuation force transmission chain and the external actuation force transmission chain is guided to strike the actuation lever on only one side.

4. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the internal actuation force transmission chain and the external actuation force transmission chain comprises a Bowden cable.

5. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein actuation by the internal actuation force transmission chain and actuation by the external actuation force transmission chain are adapted to produce movement of the actuation lever in the same direction of motion.

6. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means has a central locking clutch by which “

unlock”

(UL) and “

center lock”

(CL) operating states can be turned on.

7. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ratchet and the actuation lever in the center lock operating state are decoupled in terms of action.

8. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 6, wherein the central locking clutch has a cam with which the ratchet and the actuation lever are coupled by action in the unlock operating state of the control means and are decoupled in terms of action in the center lock operating state.

9. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control means has a central locking lever with which the central locking clutch is movable from a position which corresponds to the unlock operating state of the control means into a position which corresponds to the center lock operating state.

10. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control means has a central locking drive for motorized driving of the central locking lever.

11. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 9, wherein the central locking lever positively engages the central locking clutch in the center lock operating state of the control means.

12. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control means has an overriding lever which is moveable by means of the internal actuation force transmission chain by actuation of the inside door handle such that the central locking clutch is movable from a position which corresponds to the center lock operating state into its position which corresponds to the unlock operating state.

13. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 12, wherein a single stroke of the inside door handle is adapted to move the control means into the unlock operating state and the ratchet into the raised position.

14. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 12, wherein a first stroke of the inside door handle moves the control means into the unlock operating state, and wherein a second stroke of the inside door handle moves the ratchet into its raised position.

15. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control means has a double lock (DL) operating state in which the ratchet cannot be actuated either by the internal actuation force transmission chain or by the external actuation force transmission chain.

16. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 15, wherein, in the double lock operating state, the central locking clutch is in a position which corresponds to the center lock operating state and the internal actuation force transmission chain is decoupled from the actuation lever.

17. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 16, wherein the internal actuation force transmission chain is adapted for being swung out of an action range of the actuation lever.

18. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 16, wherein the internal actuation force transmission chain has an ejection lever for decoupling of the internal actuation force transmission chain from the actuation lever.

19. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 18, wherein the ejection lever has a slot in which a pin of the internal actuation force transmission chain runs.

20. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 16, wherein the control means has a drive for implementation of the double lock or center lock operating state, and wherein the internal actuation force transmission chain is adapted to be decoupled from the actuation lever by a motor.

31. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 10, wherein the central locking drive also is an opening drive and the ratchet is movable by means of the central locking drive in the opening function from the engagement position into the raised position, wherein the opening function takes place in the first direction of motion of the central locking drive and wherein a range of motion of the central locking drive in the central locking function coincides at least in part with a range of motion of the central locking drive in the opening function.

32. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 31, wherein the control means has an opening clutch with an opening readiness position and an initial position, and wherein the opening readiness position can be assumed by the opening clutch after completion of the motion of the central locking drive in the second direction of motion.

33. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 32, wherein, when the opening clutch is in the opening readiness position, the ratchet is raisable by the motion of the central locking drive in the first direction of motion, but cannot be raised by the motion of the central locking drive in the second direction of motion.

34. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a spring which, in a first function, spring-actuates an element of one of the actuation force transmission chains in one direction, and wherein the spring has a second function which provides an end position safeguard for an element of said one of the actuation force transmission chains.

35. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 34, wherein the spring has a separate contour for performing each of said first and second functions.

36. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 34, wherein the spring is a leg spring.

37. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 35, wherein the spring is a leg spring and both of said contours are on the same leg of the leg spring.

38. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 37, wherein said leg of the spring is bent into the contour for the first function and the contour for the second function of the spring.

39. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 34, wherein the spring interacts with the element such that the spring essentially forms a contact point for the element when the inside door handle is not actuated and wherein the element is spring-actuated by the spring in the direction of its initial position.

40. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 39, wherein said one of the actuation force transmission chains comprises a Bowden cable, and wherein the spring interacts with a core of the Bowden cable such that the element, in the operating positioning in which the spring forms said contact point, is pre-tensioned by the spring action on the Bowden cable core in a transverse direction counter to the contact.

41. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a spring which, in a first function, spring-actuates a means for changing the operating state in one direction, and wherein the spring has a second function which provides an end position safeguard for said means for changing the operating state.

42. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 41, wherein the means for changing the operating state is an ejection lever with which the internal actuation force transmission chain can be decoupled from the actuation lever.

21. Motor vehicle lock, comprising:

a ratchet,

a latch, and

a control means for controlling operation of the lock,

wherein the ratchet has an engagement position in which it holds the latch in a closed position, and has a raised position in which the latch is released,

wherein the control means has a central locking drive, and is adapted for being switched by means of the central locking drive in a first direction of motion from a center lock (CL) operating state into an unlock (UL) operating state and in a second direction of motion from the unlock operating state into the center lock operating state, the central locking drive also being adapted to function as an opening drive,

wherein the ratchet is movable from the engagement position into the raised position by means of the central locking drive in an opening function, the opening function being produced by motion of the central locking drive in a first direction, and

wherein the central locking drive has a range of motion in the central locking function which coincides at least in part with a range of motion of the central locking drive in the opening function.

22. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 21, wherein the control means has a central locking lever which is drivable by a motor by means of the central locking drive.

23. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 22, wherein the central locking lever has a control contour for the opening function.

24. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 23, wherein the control contour is a worm cam.

25. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 21, wherein the control means has an opening clutch with an opening readiness position and an initial position, and wherein the opening readiness position is assumed by the opening clutch after completion of the motion of the central locking drive in the second direction of motion.

26. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 25, wherein the opening clutch has a cam which in the opening readiness position can be caused to engage to the ratchet and wherein the control contour when the opening clutch is in the opening readiness position can be caused to engage the cam of the opening clutch.

27. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 25, further comprising an outside door handle, wherein the opening clutch is pre-tensioned in the direction of the opening readiness position, wherein the opening clutch is held in an initial position by the outside door handle which has not been actuated and can be released from its initial position by actuation of the outside door handle and only then can it be moved into its opening readiness position.

28. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a clutch carrier for the opening clutch, wherein the clutch carrier has a slot and wherein the opening clutch is supported in the slot.

29. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 28, wherein the clutch carrier has a stop for the opening clutch, and wherein the opening clutch is pre-tensioned in a direction toward the stop.

30. Motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 25, wherein, when the opening clutch is in the opening readiness position, the ratchet is raisable by motion of the central locking drive in the first direction of motion, but cannot be raised by the movement of the central locking drive in the second direction of motion.