MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK

• US 20140132008A1
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kiekert AG (Lingyun Industrial Corporation Limited)
• Original Assignee: Claus Topfer, Thorsten Bendel
• Inventors: BENDEL, Thorsten, TPFER, Claus
• Granted Patent: US 9,528,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/92
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/10 for panic or emergency doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/06 by means of inertial forces
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/26 Cooperation between bolts and detents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/22 Inertia operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0908 Emergency operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2, 3), an actuation lever unit (6, 7) acting on the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3), and a catch lever (12). The catch lever (12) blocks the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash), rendering the locking mechanism ineffective. According to the invention, the catch lever (12) acts upon a pawl (3) of the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) in the direction of the blocking position of the pawl during normal operation and in the event of a crash while allowing the pawl (3) and thus the locking mechanism (1, 2, 3) to be in the releasing position only during normal opening operation.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism an actuation lever unit acting on the locking mechanism and a catch lever blocking the locking mechanism at least when acceleration forces of a given magnitude occur, e.g. in case of an accident (crash), wherein during normal operation and in the event of a crash, the catch lever acts upon the pawl of the locking mechanism in the direction of the blocking position and allows the pawl and thus the locking mechanism to be in the releasing position only during normal opening operation.

2. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the catch lever is a swivel lever pivotable around an axis.

3. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the catch lever is housed in a lock case together with the locking mechanism.

4. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the catch lever is designed as a two-arm lever with a blocking arm and a compensation arm.

5. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the catch lever is coupled to the actuation lever unit.

6. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 5, wherein an elastic coupling is provided.

7. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 5, wherein the catch lever and the actuation lever unit are connected to each other by at least one spring.

8. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 7, wherein the spring engages with the blocking arm of the catch lever.

9. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the catch lever interacts with a release lever of the actuation lever unit.

10. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the catch lever contains a locking contour, a cam, a deformation, etc. interacting with the pawl.

11. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the catch lever interacts with the pawl, which in turn engages in a rotary latch of the locking mechanism.

12. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the pawl is arranged below the actuation lever unit and, in particular, the release lever.

13. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the inertia moment of the catch lever is designed in such a way that practically no relative movement occurs in case of a crash.

14. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the inertia forces of the catch lever occurring during a crash exceed more or less clearly any coupling forces to the actuation lever unit.