Rotating catch lock, specially for motor vehicles

• US 6,435,573 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Huf Hulsbeck & Furst GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Szablewski, Piotr
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodgers, Matthew E.
• Application Number:
  US09/446,349
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 292/201, 292/216, 292/DIG.23, 702/77, 702/75, 702/64
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2015/0448 Units of springs; Two or more springs working together
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/14 operating on bolt detents, e.g. for unlatching the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/23 Vehicle door latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/65 Central control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7051 Using a powered device [e.g., motor]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]

Abstract

The invention relates to a rotating catch lock, wherein a closing member (10) interacts with a catch (20), which can be rotated between a closing position accommodating the closing member (10) and an open position which releases said member. The catch (20) is force-loaded (22) in an open position and is held by a spring-loaded (33) rotating latch (30) in the close position. Said latch (30) is moved by a motor (50) between the locking position retaining the catch (20) and a stand-by release position in which the spring-loaded latch (30) is propped up by the catch (20) as long as it remains in an open position. In order to use small compact motors (50), the invention provides that the stored energy (61) exerted by an energy storage mechanism (60) is transmitted to the latch (30) via a storage lever (40). Normally, the latch (30) is shifted into its stand-by position by the storage lever (40). When the latch (30) is in a stand-by position, the storage lever (40) is supported on a control tappet (51) which is rotationally driven by the motor (50). The motor (50) can be driven by an electrical control logic in both a forward mode (56) unloading the energy storage (60) and a reverse mode (56′) loading the energy storage (60), i.e. in opposite directions. In the reverse mode (56′) the control tappet (51) releases the latch (30), moves towards the storage lever (40) and guides it back into a starting position which corresponds to the stand-by position of the latch (30).

Claims

1. A rotary catch lock between a movable part and a stationary part of a door, a flap, or a hood of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a closing element (10) on a first one of the movable and stationary parts;

a rotary catch (20) on a second one of the movable and stationary parts;

wherein the rotary catch (20) is rotatable between a closed position and an open position and is configured to receive the closing element (10) in the closed position;

wherein the rotary catch (20) is held by a pivoting latch (30) loaded by a spring force (33) against a restoring force (22), wherein the restoring force (22) is configured to push the rotary latch (20) into the open position, wherein the rotary catch (20) releases the closing element (10) when the rotary catch is in the open position;

an electrically driven motor (50);

an energy storage mechanism (60);

wherein the pivoting latch (30) is movable from a blocking position, in which the rotary catch (20) is held, to a stand-by position, in which the rotary catch (20) is released, wherein the pivoting latch (30) rests against the rotary catch (20) in the stand-by position;

a pivotable storage lever (40) configured to transfer stored energy of the energy storage mechanism (60) to the pivoting latch (30) in order to pivot the pivoting latch (30) into the release position, wherein a transfer of the stored energy occurs at least during a final phase of pivoting of the pivoting latch (30) by unloading the stored energy from the energy storage mechanism (60);

a tappet (51), rotationally driven by the motor (50), wherein the storage lever (40) rests against the tappet (51) when the pivoting latch (30) is in the stand-by position and during an initial phase of pivoting of the storage lever (40);

wherein the motor (50) is configured to be driven in rotation by an electronic control logic in a forward direction (56) to a first end position to allow the storage energy of the energy storage mechanism (60) to be unloaded, wherein during rotation in the forward direction (56) the tappet (51) follows or supports pivoting of the pivoting latch (30) by being acted on by the storage lever (40); and

wherein the motor (50) is configured to be driven in rotation by electronic control logic in a reverse direction (56′

) to a second end position relative to the forward direction (56) to reload the energy storage mechanism (60), wherein during rotation in the reverse direction (56′

) the tappet (51) releases the pivoting latch (30), moves toward the storage lever (40), and moves the storage lever (40) into a starting position corresponding to the stand-by position of the pivoting latch (30).

2. The rotary catch lock according to claim 1, wherein the tappet (51) is positioned in a space (44) provided between the storage lever (40) and an adjusting arm (32) of the pivoting latch (30) and is driven rotationally back and forth in the space (44) between the storage lever (40) and the adjusting arm (32) when the motor (50) rotates in the forward and reverse directions (56, 56′

).

3. The rotary catch lock according to claim 1, comprising a lock housing (11) having a common axle, wherein the storage lever (40) and the pivoting latch (30) are supported pivotably on the common axle of the lock housing (11), wherein the storage lever (40) and the latch (30) are configured to pivot separately at least during some phases of operation.

4. The rotary catch lock according to claim 1, wherein the spring force (33) acts simultaneously on the pivoting latch (30) and the storage lever (40) so as to push the pivoting latch (30) and the storage lever (40) toward each other.

5. The rotary catch lock according to claim 1, comprising a catch sensor (15) monitoring a rotational position of the rotary catch (20) and responding to the rotational position when the rotary catch (20) has moved out of the closed position so far that the pivoting latch (30) no longer prevents the rotary catch (20) from turning into the open position, and wherein the catch sensor (15) responds by acting on the control logic to activate the motor (50) for rotation in the forward direction (56).

6. The rotary catch lock according to claim 2, comprising a lever sensor (16) monitoring a position of the storage lever (40) or tappet (51) and responding to the position of the storage lever (40) or tappet (51) when the tappet (51) reaches a starting position corresponding to the stand-by position of the pivoting latch (30) by being acted on by the motor (50) rotating in the reverse direction (56′

), and wherein the lever sensor (16) responds by acting on the control logic to stop the motor (50) from rotating in the reverse direction (56′

).

7. The rotary catch lock according to claim 1, comprising rotational end stops (58, 38), wherein the first and second end positions of the motor (50) are limited by the rotational end stops (58, 38).

8. The rotary catch lock according to claim 7, wherein the motor (50) has gears (52, 53) and wherein the rotational end stops (58, 38) are configured to limit rotational movement of the gears (52, 53).

9. The rotary catch lock according to claim 1, wherein the rotary catch (20) has an intermediate position between the closed position and the open position, wherein the intermediate position is a pre-catch position, wherein in the pre-catch position the closing element (10) is received in the rotary catch (20).