Motor vehicle lock

Abstract

A motor vehicle lock includes a catch, a pawl, and a latch plate, wherein the catch and the pawl are rotatably supported on the latch plate, the latch plate has at least two openings for mounting the motor vehicle lock, and the latch plate has an inlet slot for a latch holder, and wherein a splay lying opposite the inlet slot is provided on the latch plate, wherein the splay has the form of a semicircle at least in an end region opposite the inlet slot.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle latch comprising: a catch, a pawl, and a latch plate, the catch and the pawl being pivotably mounted on the latch plate, the latch plate having at least two openings for mounting of the motor vehicle latch, the latch plate having an inlet slot for a latch holder and a splay opposite the inlet slot being provided for on the latch plate, the splay being formed as an extension of the latch plate, wherein the splay has at least a semi-circular end area opposite the inlet slot, and wherein the two openings are positioned opposite to each other so that a connecting line extends between the two openings over the latch plate, wherein the semi-circular end area of the splay starts at a first end that is arranged adjacent a first circumference of one of the two openings and extends to a second end of the splay that is arranged adjacent to a second one of the two openings over an end of the latch plate that is oriented opposite to the latch holder, the second end of the splay extending beyond a second circumference of the second one of the two openings.

2. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the splay is formed in the direction of the catch and the pawl.

3. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the splay is formed in a direction against the arrangement of the catch, and the pawl on the latch plate.

4. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the splay at least runs around one of the at least two openings.

5. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the splay extends from at least one of the at least two openings into an area of an end of the latch plate directed opposite the latch holder.

6. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the catch interacts with the latch holder, whereby the catch and the pawl secure the latch holder in a closure position of the motor vehicle latch, at least in a main ratchet position and a connecting line of the at least two openings running behind an area of the latch holder engaged with the catch viewed from the inlet slot.

7. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the catch, the pawl and the mounting openings are mounted symmetrically on the latch plate.

8. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the latch plate has at least a corrugation.

9. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 8, wherein the corrugation is inserted in an arch-shaped manner into the latch plate.

10. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the splay has a uniform radius.

11. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the at least two openings are formed on opposite sides of the inlet slot.

12. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the inlet slot extends in a direction that is transverse to the region oriented opposite to the latch holder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in further detail below with reference to the attached drawings on the basis of the preferred embodiments. However, the principle applies that the exemplary embodiment does not restrict the invention but only constitutes an advantageous embodiment. The characteristics depicted can be executed individually or in combination, individually or in combination with other characteristics of the description, as also the patent claims.

(2) The following are shown:

(3) FIG. 1 a three-dimensional view of an only partly illustrated motor vehicle latch engaged with a latch holder according to the state of the art,

(4) FIG. 2 a three-dimensional view of an only partly illustrated motor vehicle latch engaged with a latch holder according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 3 in the upper section a top view of an only partly illustrated motor vehicle latch engaged with a latch holder according to the state of the art with tensile stress and in the lower area a tension-expansion characteristic curve according to the tensile stress exerted, the force progression being reproduced in a pre-ratchet position,

(6) FIG. 4 A top view of an only partly illustrated motor vehicle latch in a main ratchet position under tensile stress with a latch holder, according to a motor vehicle latch from the state of the art and the pertaining tension-expansion curve,

(7) FIG. 5 in the upper area a top view of a motor vehicle latch according to the invention in a pre-ratchet and under tensile stress by means of a latch holder and in the lower area a pertaining tension-expansion curve, and

(8) FIG. 6 in the upper area a three-dimensional view of an only partly illustrated motor vehicle latch in a main ratchet according to the invention with engagement with a latch holder and in the lower area a graph which reproduces the tension-expansion course under tensile stress.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of an only partly illustrated motor vehicle latch 1 in a main ratchet position engaged with a latch holder 2. A latch plate 3 is apparent on which a catch 4 and a pawl 5 are rotatably mounted. Furthermore, the latch plate 3 encompasses mounting openings 6, 7 and corrugations 9 extending over the circumference and the mounting surface 8. The locking mechanism is hereby formed from the catch 4 and the pawl 5 which are engaged with one another, the main ratchet position of the locking mechanism being reproduced in FIG. 1. The latch holder 2 has a base plate 10 and a latch holder bracket 11. A supporting metal sheet is also connected to the catch 4 or the catch axis 12 which ensures stabilization of the catch axis 12. FIG. 1 shows a theoretical construction of a motor vehicle latch, with only the crucial components for explanation of the function of the invention being reproduced.

(10) A latch plate 14 according to the invention is reproduced in a three-dimensional view in FIG. 2. Further components of the motor vehicle latch correspond in their construction to the construction shown in the state of the art. A motor vehicle latch 15 in a main ratchet position 16 is thus reproduced in FIG. 2, the pawl 17 engaging with the load arm 18 of the catch 19 and blocking the rotational movement of the catch 19. The latch plate 14 has a splay 20 which extends around the latch plate 14 in a semi-circular shape.

(11) A connecting line V which connects both central points of the mounting openings 21, 22 extends beyond the latch plate 14. It is apparent that on the one hand the catch axis 23 and on the other hand the latch holder arm 24 of the latch holder 28 are located on one side of the connecting line V in which the start of the inlet slot 25 is also located. This front area is hereby distinguished from a rear area, an area behind the connecting line V in which the catch axis 23 and the latch holder arm 24 are located. The splay 20 is also crucially arranged behind the connecting line V, i.e. the splay is located with its components which are crucial to the invention behind the connecting line V. The front edge 26 preferably forms a straight line which is interrupted by the inlet slot 25.

(12) The rear area 27 of the latch plate 14 is limited by the splay 20.

(13) A latch plate 1 according to the state of the art is shown in the upper section of FIG. 3. The catch 4 is engaged with the pawl 5, the arresting arm of the catch 4 engaging with the pawl 5. In this pre-ratchet position, the latch holder 2 is already held by the locking mechanism consisting of the catch 4 and the latch holder 5 and must have sufficient stability according to the safety requirements 6 of the automotive industry. Stability hereby means that between the motor vehicle latch 1 and the latch holder 2 a relative force in the Y direction needs to be able to be absorbed. This sufficient stability of the latch 1 is verified in a tensile test.

(14) In the lower section of FIG. 3, a tension-expansion course is reproduced until failure of the motor vehicle latch 1. The x-axis hereby describes the temporal course and the y-axis the force exerted. The maximum value after which failure of the motor vehicle latch occurs is of approximately 7.3 kN tensile load in a Y direction. The maximum value MI is sketched into the diagram here and was attained after approximately 0.0045 s. It involves a near-static tensile test in which speeds of 5 mm/min are usually used.

(15) The motor vehicle latch 1 according to the state of the art is in turn shown in FIG. 4 in the upper figure, whereby the catch 4 and the pawl 5 are in a main ratchet position. The latch holder 2 has been completely moved into the latch plate 3 and is held in position by its locking mechanism consisting of a catch 4 and a pawl 5. The latch 1 was acted on by a force in a Y direction in turn, i.e. the transverse direction to the motor vehicle, provided that the motor vehicle latch 1 is a lateral door, in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle. A maximum value M2 of approximately 13.6 kN was attained after approximately 0.05 s before failure of the motor vehicle latch 1 occurred.

(16) In FIG. 5, in the upper section of FIG. 5 a motor vehicle latch 15 is reproduced in turn according to the invention. The pre-ratchet position is illustrated, whereby the catch 19 engages with the pawl 17. However, the motor vehicle latch 15 is not yet completely closed. The motor vehicle latch 15 was also acted on in turn with a stress in the Y direction, whereby a maximum value M3 of 7.4 kN was attained before the motor vehicle latch 15 failed.

(17) In FIG. 6 in the upper section of FIG. 6 the motor vehicle latch 15 is reproduced in a three-dimensional view in a main ratchet position. The motor vehicle latch 15 was in turn acted on in a Y direction, i.e. parallel to a plane of the latch plate 14 and in the direction of the latch holder 28 with tensile stress. A maximum value M4 of 16.7 kN could be determined before failure of the motor vehicle latch 15 occurred. In an identical construction of the further latch components solely due to the splay 20 on the latch plate 14 the stability of the motor vehicle latch 15 could thus be significantly increased.

(18) If failure of a motor vehicle latch 1 according to the state of the art already occurred at tensile stresses of 13.6 kN, during failure of the motor vehicle latch 1 according to the state of the art it could be ascertained that the area behind the connecting line V bent upwards so that failure of the motor vehicle latch 1 ultimately occurred. This bending of the latch plate 3 according to the state of the art could be prevented with a latch plate 14 according to the invention which had a splay 20. As is clearly apparent from FIGS. 2 and 6, the splay 20 extends in a semi-circular shape around the latch plate 14 and encompasses the mounting opening 22.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(19) 1 Motor vehicle latch 2 Latch holder 3 Latch plate 4 Catch 5 Pawl 6, 7 Mounting openings 8 Mounting surface 9 Corrugations 10 Base plate 11 Latch holder bracket 12 Catch axis 13 Supporting sheet metal 14 Latch plate 15 Motor vehicle door latch 16 Main ratchet position 17 Pawl 18 Load arm 19 Catch 20 Splay 21,22 Mounting openings 23 Catch axis 24 Latch holder arm 25 Inlet slot 26 Front edge 27 Rear area 28 Latch holder V Connecting line M Maximum value