Emergency release locking system, vehicle thereto, and method for operating the locking system

• US 8,798,858 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Zysk, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US13/788,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/39, 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/426.28, 340/426.29, 340/438, 340/446, 340/447, 340/573.1, 292/92, 292/201, 292/216, 292/449, 307/10.1, 307/326
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/54 Automatic securing or unlocking of bolts triggered by certain vehicle parameters, e.g. exceeding a speed threshold triggered by vehicle collision E05B77/12
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/56 Control of actuators
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/26 Emergency opening means for persons trapped in the luggage compartment
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/00 Safety devices acting in conjunction with the control or operation of a machine; Control arrangements requiring the simultaneous use of two or more parts of the body F16P5/00 takes precedence

Abstract

An emergency release locking system for a trunk lid, with a lid lock and a catch device which has a catch hook and in the case of the opened rotary latch limits the opening movement of the lid, with an emergency release system disposed in the trunk, and with an actuator that is controlled by a control unit of the vehicle and drives a blocking element, which above a predetermined or predeterminable recommended speed of the vehicle stops at least the releasing action of the emergency release system on the catch hook of the catch device. The control unit is assigned, apart from a sensor unit for detecting the current driving speed of the vehicle, one sensor unit each for detecting the current operating position of the emergency release system and of the catch hook of the catch device.

Claims

1. An emergency release locking system for a lid closing a trunk of a vehicle with a lid lock that has at least one rotary latch and a closing element corresponding to the latch, the system comprising:

a catch device adapted to limit an opening movement of the lid with an opened rotary latch;

at least one catch hook;

an emergency release system arranged in the trunk and which during system actuation acts to open the rotary latch of the lid lock and to release the catch hook of the catch device; and

an actuator controllable by a control unit of the vehicle, the actuator configured to drive a blocking element, which above a predetermined or predeterminable recommended speed of the vehicle stops at least a releasing action of the emergency release system on the catch hook of the catch device,

wherein the control unit is assigned, apart from a sensor unit for detecting the current driving speed of the vehicle, a sensor unit arranged at the emergency release system and a sensor unit arranged at the catch device for detecting a current operating position of the emergency release system and of the catch hook of the catch device.

2. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is formed by an electrically powered servo motor.

3. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor units are at least one microswitch for detecting the current operating position of the emergency release system and of the catch hook of the catch device.

4. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency release system comprises a handle disposed in the trunk of the vehicle, said system being connectable mechanically to the lid lock or electrically or without cables to an actuation unit engaging with the lid lock, particularly an electrically powered actuation unit.

5. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency release system is assigned an optical and/or acoustic signal generator activatable during actuation of the system.

6. A vehicle with an emergency release locking system according to claim 1.

11. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit arranged at the emergency release system is disposed directly at the emergency release system.

12. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein the emergency release system comprises a handle, and

wherein the sensor unit arranged at the emergency release system is disposed directly on the handle and detects a pivoting movement and an axial movement of the handle.

13. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein the catch hook comprises an extension and the sensor unit arranged at the catch device is positioned at the extension.

14. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein the blocking element comprises an axially movable blocking element.

7. A method for operating an emergency release locking system for a lid closing a trunk of a vehicle, with a lid lock, which has at least one rotary latch and a closing element corresponding to the latch, the method comprising:

providing a catch device that limits the opening movement of the lid with an opened rotary latch and has at least one catch hook;

providing an emergency release system, which is arranged in the trunk and which during system actuation acts to open the rotary latch of the lid lock and to release the catch hook of the catch device; and

providing an actuator that is controllable by a control unit of the vehicle and drives a blocking element, which above a predetermined recommended speed of the vehicle stops the releasing action of the emergency release system on at least the catch hook of the catch device;

assigning to the control unit, besides a sensor unit for detecting the current driving speed of the vehicle, a sensor unit arranged at the emergency release system and a sensor unit arranged at the catch device for detecting a current operating position of the emergency release system and of the catch hook of the catch device; and

operating the actuator, in terms of stopping a releasing action of the emergency release system on at least the catch device, when an actuation of the emergency release system above a predetermined recommended speed of the vehicle is detected, and whereby further the actuator is operated, in terms of stopping the releasing action of the emergency release system on at least the catch device, when due to the actuation of the emergency release system a release position of the catch hook of the catch device has already been brought about and detected by sensors, but a driving speed above a predetermined recommended speed of the vehicle is detected.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein an electrically powered servo motor is used as the actuator.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein microswitches are used as sensor units for detecting the current operating position of the emergency release system and of the catch hook of the catch device.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein an optical and/or acoustic signal are provided to a driver of the vehicle when an actuation is detected of the emergency release system at least above the recommended speed.