LOCK FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20140203575A1
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kiekert AG (Lingyun Industrial Corporation Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kiekert AG (Lingyun Industrial Corporation Limited)
• Inventors: Brickner, Robert L., Pettengill, Robert S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,920,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/341.17
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/06 by means of inertial forces
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/12 Automatic locking or unlocking at the moment of collision
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/26 Cooperation between bolts and detents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/702 Pivoted or swinging

Abstract

A lock with a locking mechanism includes a rotary catch and a pawl for engaging the rotary catch, and a releasing lever for opening or releasing the locking mechanism. The lock may include a blocking lever capable of blocking the pawl if the latter is located in its catching position. If the releasing lever is actuated, the pawl or the blocking lever is thereby moved out of its blocking position if the releasing lever is not excessively accelerated. If excessively large accelerations of the releasing lever occur, as can be caused by a crash, then an arresting device of the lock prevents the releasing lever from being able to move the pawl or the blocking lever out of its blocking or latching position, respectively. The lock is therefore incapable of opening if the releasing lever is accelerated in the event of a crash.

Claims

1. Lock for a motor vehicle comprising a locking mechanism with a rotatably mounted rotary catch for receiving a locking bolt, a pawl with which the rotary catch can be engaged for retaining the locking bolt, a releasing lever for disengaging the locking mechanism and an arresting device which is able to prevent the releasing lever from being able to disengaging the locking mechanism, if excessively large accelerations of the releasing lever occurs.

2. The lock of claim 1, wherein the arresting device comprises an inertia lever and a blocking lever and wherein the inertia lever and the blocking lever are interconnected in such a way that the inertia lever is moved together with the blocking lever by the releasing lever only when the releasing lever is accelerated in the usual manner.

3. The lock of claim 1, wherein the arresting device which is able to prevent the releasing lever from being able to move the pawl or the blocking lever out of its blocking or latching position.

4. The lock of claim 3, wherein only the blocking lever is moved, namely into a position which blocks further pivoting of the releasing lever, if the releasing lever is greatly accelerated.

5. The lock of claim 1, wherein the arresting device comprises a spring which interconnects an inertia lever and a blocking lever of the arresting device in such a way that the inertia lever is moved together with the blocking lever by the releasing lever only when the releasing lever is accelerated in a usual manner.

6. The lock of claim 5, wherein one leg of the spring is attached to the inertia lever and the other leg of the spring is attached to the blocking lever.

7. The lock of claim 6, wherein the blocking lever is rotatably mounted on the inertia lever.

8. The lock of claim 7, wherein the blocking lever comprises a lug which can be moved by the releasing lever for moving the blocking lever.

9. The lock of claim 8, wherein a leg of the spring rests against a contour of the lug in a biased manner.

10. The lock of claim 2, wherein the mass of the inertia lever is several times larger than the mass of the blocking lever.

11. The lock of claim 1, comprising an arresting profile connected to a lock casing or a plate of the lock.

12. The lock of claim 11, wherein a rotatably mounted safety lever arresting profile comprises the arresting profile and rests against a contour of the inertia lever in a biased manner.

13. The lock of claim 1, further comprising a blocking lever capable of blocking the pawl in its catching position.

14. The lock of claim 13, wherein the rotary catch is capable of introducing an opening moment into the pawl if the pawl is in its catching position.

15. The lock of claim 1, with two catching positions for the rotary catch, namely a preliminary catching position and a main catching position.

16. The lock of claim 15, wherein the release lever may act as a second pawl in order to engage the rotary catch in its preliminary catching position.