Motor vehicle door lock

Abstract

A lock for a motor vehicle includes a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, a drive motor, a worm connected to the drive motor, a worm gear, wherein the worm gear can be driven by the drive motor and with the aid of the worm, and a transmission stage for transmitting a torque from the worm gear to a pawl, wherein the transmission stage is a gear stage.

Claims

1. A lock for a motor vehicle door, the lock comprising: a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl that engages and disengages the rotary latch during a locking process and unlocking process of the lock, a drive motor, a worm connected to the drive motor, a worm gear, wherein the worm gear can be driven by the drive motor and the worm, and a gear stage for transmitting a torque from the worm gear to the pawl, wherein the gear stage is directly connected to each of the worm gear and the pawl during the unlocking process, wherein the worm gear is driven in a same direction of rotation during both the unlocking process in which the pawl disengages the rotary latch and the locking process in which the pawl engages the rotary latch.

2. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the pawl has a pawl body and at least a sectoral toothing.

3. The lock according to claim 2, wherein the toothing is connected to the pawl in a positive-locking, force-fitting or permanently bonded manner.

4. The lock according to claim 2, wherein the toothing is formed as a single component with the pawl.

5. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the pawl consists of a metallic material and/or plastic.

6. The lock according to claim 1, wherein a plastic layer which is present at least sectorally encompasses a toothing of the pawl.

7. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the worm gear encompasses a gear wheel segment.

8. A lock for a motor vehicle door, the lock comprising: a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl that engages and disengages the rotary latch during a locking process and unlocking process of the lock, a drive motor, a worm connected to the drive motor, a worm gear, wherein the worm gear can be driven by the drive motor and the worm, and a gear stage for transmitting a torque from the worm gear to the pawl, wherein the gear stage includes a gear wheel segment, wherein the worm gear is driven in a same direction of rotation during both the unlocking process in which the pawl disengages the rotary latch and the locking process in which the pawl engages the rotary latch, wherein the gear wheel segment is arranged parallel to the worm gear.

9. The lock according to claim 7, wherein the gear wheel segment is connected to the worm gear in a positive-locking, force-fitting or permanently bonded manner.

10. The lock according to claim 7, wherein the gear wheel segment is connected to the worm gear as a single component.

11. The lock according to claim 10, wherein the gear wheel segment extends over an angle range of 20°-120° of the gear wheel.

12. A lock for a motor vehicle door, the lock comprising: a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl that engages and disengages the rotary latch during a locking process and unlocking process of the lock, a drive motor, a worm connected to the drive motor, a worm gear, wherein the worm gear can be driven by the drive motor and the worm, and a gear stage for transmitting a torque from the worm gear to the pawl, wherein the gear stage includes a gear wheel segment, wherein the worm gear is driven in a same direction of rotation during both the unlocking process in which the pawl disengages the rotary latch and the locking process in which the pawl engages the rotary latch, wherein a toothing of a gear wheel segment of the worm gear is formed such that the toothing of the gear wheel segment and a toothing on the pawl are engageable.

13. The lock according to claim 7, wherein the worm gear and the gear wheel segment consist of a metallic material and/or a plastic.

14. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the worm gear has a metallic rotary axis.

15. The lock according to claim 1, wherein an axis of the pawl and/or an axis of the worm gear, is accommodated at least unilaterally on a lock case and/or on a side opposite the lock case on a reinforcement plate.

16. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the gear stage is only activatable during operation of the pawl.

17. The lock according to claim 5 wherein the pawl consists of a metallic pawl body with an at least sectoral plastic layer.

18. The lock according to claim 5, wherein the pawl consists of a stamped or injection-molded part.

19. The lock according to claim 13, wherein the plastic is polyoxymethylene (POM).

20. The lock according to claim 12, wherein reduced toothing is formed on the gear wheel segment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) Hereinafter the invention is explained in further detail with reference to the attached drawings on the basis of a preferred exemplary embodiment. However, the principle applies that the exemplary embodiments do not restrict the invention, but only constitute advantageous embodiments. The characteristics portrayed can be executed individually or in combination with other characteristics of the description.

(2) The following are shown:

(3) FIG. 1 a preferred exemplary embodiment of an isometric view of the electromotor, worm, worm gear and pawl occurring in a motor vehicle lock according to the invention. The isometric view shows the components necessary for functioning during a movement process, i.e. during movement of the pawl by the worm gear,

(4) FIG. 2 a front view of the functional unit in a “start position”, i.e. at the start of the movement process if a pawl is disengaged from a rotary latch (not shown here),

(5) FIG. 3 the front view of the functional unit of the lock in an “end position”, i.e. if the pawl is disengaged from the rotary latch,

(6) FIG. 4 the front view of the functional unit of the lock in an “equilibrium position”, i.e. if the worm gear is disengaged from the pawl and

(7) FIG. 5 a top view of a pawl body with toothing. In addition to the pawl body and the toothing the rotary axis of the pawl can also be seen.

(8) FIG. 6 a side view of a pawl body formed as a single component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of the components, that are necessary to explain the present invention, present in a motor vehicle lock according to the invention. The further components of a lock are dispensed with here for the sake of clarity. The locking system has an electromotor 1, a worm 2, a worm gear 3 with a gear wheel segment 4 and a rotary axis 5, a pawl 6, and the diagrammatic illustration of a reinforcement plate 7 and a lock plate 8.

(10) In the functioning of a lock, a non-illustrated rotary latch and the pawl 6 interact with a lock holder which is also not illustrated. The lock holder is preferably attached to a motor vehicle chassis. The relative movement between the lock holder and the rotary latch causes the rotary latch to be pivoted and simultaneously for the pawl 6 to engage with the rotary latch.

(11) In the present exemplary embodiment, a movement cycle of a lock can be described on the basis of the rotation of a worm gear 3 of up to 360° or 360° or more than 360°. The rotational direction of the worm gear 3 can depend on a number of factors, such as the type of lock or the installation direction in the lock. The rotational direction can be executed in both a clockwise and an anti-clockwise direction. During a movement cycle of the lock, generally no change of rotational direction of the worm gear 3 is provided for. However, due to the design a change in rotational direction of the worm gear 3 is possible.

(12) In the starting position of the movement cycle the gear wheel segment 4 of the worm gear 3, is viewed in a rotational direction, in a position in which the teeth 9 of the gear wheel segment 4 are about to engage with the teeth 10 of the pawl 6, however not yet engaged, as is apparent as an example in FIG. 4. The movement cycle can be sub-divided into an opening and a locking process.

(13) During an opening process of the lock the rotary latch releases the lock holder. In the opening process, an impulse acts on an electromotor 1, whereby the electromotor 1 transmits a drive torque via a worm 2 to the worm gear 3. Whereupon the gear wheel segment 4 on the worm gear 3 transmits the drive torque to the pawl 6. A ratchet nose 11 of the pawl 6 is subsequently disengaged from a main ratchet of the rotary latch. The start of the opening movement is shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the gear wheel segment 4 of the worm gear 3 is engaged with the pawl 6 and the pawl 6 engaged with the rotary latch. The position illustrated in FIG. 2 shall be defined here as the “start position” in which the opening movement begins and thus the ratchet nose 11 of the pawl 6 is disengaged from the main ratchet of the rotary latch.

(14) FIGS. 3 and 4 show the further progression of the opening movement. The pawl 6 is rotated by means of the drive torque until the ratchet nose 7 of the pawl 6 is neither engaged with the main ratchet of the rotary latch, nor engaged with a pre-ratchet. The pawl 6 and the gear wheel segment 4 of the worm gear 3 are still engaged. This position shall be defined here as the “end position”. In the “end position” the rotary latch is aligned in such a way that the rotary latch releases the lock holder.

(15) In the further rotational movement in the direction of the arrow P of the worm gear 3 by the drive torque, the gear wheel segment 4 of the worm gear 3 becomes disengaged from the pawl 6. The worm gear 3 then continues to rotate in the direction of movement until the worm gear 3 has attained the start position again. The pawl 6 is now disengaged from the rotary latch and disengaged from the gear wheel segment 4 of the worm gear 3; this can be viewed in FIG. 5.

(16) In order to prevent an undefined rotational movement of the pawl 6 and to ensure an unintentional interlocking of the pawl 6 with the rotary latch, the pawl 6 is moved by means of a return spring against the opening rotational direction until the pawl 6 lies adjacent on the external contour of the rotary latch. During a subsequent locking process of the lock it is thus ensured that the ratchet nose 11 of the pawl 6 ratchets in the pre-ratchet or the main ratchet of the rotary latch.

(17) In order to guarantee secure interlocking of the teeth 9, 19 of the gear wheel segment 4 of the worm gear 3 and the pawl 6 during an opening process, the external teeth 9 of the gear wheel segment 4 have a decreasing height progression of the teeth contours in the direction of movement at least. This has the advantage that on a gear wheel segment 4 which is only configured over an angle range on the worm gear 3, the engagement of the teeth 9 of the gear wheel segment 4 with the teeth 10 of the pawl 6 is facilitated. Damage to the teeth contours 9 of the gear wheel segment 4 and the pawl 6 is thus prevented.

(18) FIG. 6 shows the exemplary illustration of a pawl 6 formed as a single component, wherein the pawl body 12, the toothing 10 and the axis 13 consist of a single component. A single-component execution of the pawl 6 can be configured, for example, as a plastic component, a stamping component or a cast component, naturally a multiple component construction of the pawl 6 is also conceivable from the stated material.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(19) 1. Electromotor 2. Worm 3. Worm gear 4. Gear wheel segment 5. Rotational axis 6. Pawl 7. Reinforcement plate 8. Latch plate 9. Teeth of the gear wheel segment 10. Teeth of the pawl 11. Ratchet nose 12. Pawl body 13. Axis