MOTOR VEHICLE LATCH, IN PARTICULAR A MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LATCH

Abstract

A motor vehicle latch, in particular a motor vehicle door latch, is equipped with a locking mechanism consisting substantially of a catch and a pawl. An electromotive drive for a coupling lever is further provided as part of a power locking unit. In addition, a first operating lever is provided, wherein in the “unlocked” position of the power locking unit, said first operating lever works on the coupling lever that is then engaged in order to open the locking mechanism, and wherein in the “locked” position of the power locking unit, said first operating lever performs an idle stroke relative to the coupling lever that is then disengaged. According to the invention, the electromotive drive works with a linear thrust member on the coupling lever, wherein the linear thrust member is held in at least one position with the aid of a blocking levers).

Claims

1. A motor vehicle latch comprising: a locking mechanism including a catch and a pawl, a power locking unit comprising an electromotive drive and a linear thrust member that is driven by the electromotive drive, and a coupling lever operatively coupled to the linear thrust member, a first operating lever, and a blocking lever, wherein in an unlocked position of the power locking unit, said first operating lever acts on the coupling lever that is then engaged to open the locking mechanism, and wherein in a locked position of the power locking unit, said first operating lever performs an idle stroke relative to the coupling lever that is then disengaged, and wherein the electromotive drive acts on the linear thrust member to engage with the coupling lever, wherein the linear thrust member is held in at least one position with the aid of the blocking lever.

2. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the blocking lever holds the linear thrust member in a basic position.

3. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 2, wherein the blocking lever releases the linear thrust member and the linear thrust member transitions from the basic position to an extended position.

4. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the blocking lever is equipped with a spring which biases the blocking lever in a direction of the linear thrust member.

5. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the blocking lever has a blocking lug that interacts with the linear thrust member.

6. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the linear thrust member is equipped with a guide opening for engaging at least one guide pin.

7. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the linear thrust member has a stop edge for interaction with a stop pin on the coupling lever.

8. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, further comprising a second operating lever in addition to the first operating lever.

9. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 8, wherein the coupling lever has a stop pin that engages in a pin guide of the second operating lever.

10. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding element mounted pivotably on the catch and/or the pawl.

11. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 8, wherein first operating lever and the second operating lever are mounted coaxially.

12. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 5, wherein the linear thrust member has a guide web, and the blocking lug abuts the guide web.

13. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 12, wherein the linear thrust member has a further guide opening, and the guide web and the further guide opening commonly receive a guide pin.

14. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 5, wherein the linear thrust member is movable between a basic position and an extended position, and the blocking lug abuts against the linear thrust member when the linear thrust member is in the extended positioned.

15. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting a position of the linear thrust member, and a control unit that controls the electromotive drive for movement of the linear thrust member based on the detected position provided by the sensor.

16. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 15, wherein the control unit is configured to control the electromotive drive for movement of the linear thrust member in a full power retraction to release the pawl and a low power extension to reset the electromotive drive.

17. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 15, wherein the control unit is configured to control the electromotive drive for movement of the linear thrust member in a full power extension for a power locking, a low power retraction to unlock the locking mechanism, and a full power retraction for full release to open a motor vehicle door.

18. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 17, wherein the control unit further is configured to control the electromotive drive for movement of the linear thrust member, after release, in a full power extension to reset the electromotive drive.

Description

[0029] The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to drawings, which show only one exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:

[0030] FIGS. 1A and 1B show the motor vehicle latch according to the invention and in particular the motor vehicle door latch in a front view (FIG. 1A) and a rear view (FIG. 1B) as well as in the “unlocked” position of the power locking unit,

[0031] FIGS. 2A and 2B show the motor vehicle latch according to FIGS. 1A and 1B again in a front view (FIG. 2A) and a rear view (FIG. 2B), this time in the “locked” position of the power locking unit, and

[0032] FIG. 3 shows the implemented locking mechanism in detail.

[0033] The drawings show a motor vehicle latch which, in the exemplary embodiment, is a motor vehicle door latch. In fact, the motor vehicle door latch is designed as a motor vehicle side door latch, specifically as one which is used on a rear side door of a motor vehicle. Accordingly, the motor vehicle door latch in question has a child lock, as will be explained in more detail below. Of course, this only applies as an example.

[0034] The basic structure of the illustrated motor vehicle door latch includes a locking mechanism 1, 2 substantially consisting of a catch 1 and a pawl 2. The locking mechanism 1, 2 is specially designed as shown in FIG. 3. In fact, the locking mechanism 1, 2 is equipped with a sliding element 3 mounted pivotably on the catch 1 and/or the pawl 2. With the aid of the sliding element 3, which is designed as a ratchet element 3 according to the exemplary embodiment, a particularly low-force opening of the locking mechanism 1, 2 is achieved. In connection with the child lock to be described in more detail below, this is of particular synergetic importance in order to keep the operating forces on an inside door handle of the rear side door of the motor vehicle in question as low as possible and consequently to enable simple operation even for young children.

[0035] For this purpose, the ratchet element 3 is mounted on the catch 1 according to the exemplary embodiment. Overall, the sliding element or ratchet element 3 is thereby able to perform pivoting movements relative to the catch 1 in a locking mechanism plane E indicated in FIG. 3. In fact, the locking mechanism plane E is spanned by the two locking mechanisms 1, 2, i.e. the catch 1 in conjunction with the pawl 2.

[0036] During an opening process of the locking mechanism 1, 2, the ratchet element 3 essentially performs a pivoting movement in a clockwise direction, as corresponding arrows associated with an opening movement in FIG. 3 make clear. For this purpose, the ratchet element 3 according to the exemplary embodiment is designed in a total of three parts with a bearing foot 3a, a load contact 3b and a raised edge 3c.

[0037] It can be seen that the bearing foot 3a and the load contact 3b as a whole describe a leg of a right angle together with the raised edge 3c defining the other leg. As a result, the ratchet element 3 as a whole has an inverted L-shaped design, so that the long L-leg describing the raised edge 3c abuts at the end with its abutment surface 4 on a corresponding opposing abutment surface 5 of the pawl 2 in the closed state, as shown in FIG. 3. The two abutment surfaces 4, 5 can be equipped with a reinforcement in the region of the mutual abutment surface 4 or the opposing abutment surface 5. This reinforcement may be a welded-on sheet metal or a plate made, for example, of steel.

[0038] The bearing foot 3a of the ratchet element 3 engages as a whole in a recess 6 in the catch 1 that forms a bearing, as shown in FIG. 3. In addition, the catch 1 is equipped with a casing 7 which encloses the ratchet element 3 in the form of a pocket. The casing 7 is a plastics casing, in particular a plastics coating. As a result, the ratchet element 3 is predominantly guided both radially and axially relative to the locking mechanism component 1, 2 supporting the ratchet element 3, i.e. relative to the catch 1 according to the exemplary embodiment. A guide extension 8 protruding from the ratchet element 3 and the locking mechanism plane E, which supports the axial and/or radial guidance of the ratchet element 3 and is indicated as a guide extension 8 in FIG. 3, can also contribute to this.

[0039] In addition, the ratchet element 3 is equipped with a spring 9. The spring 9 is connected with one end 9a to the ratchet element 3 and with its other end 9b to the locking mechanism component 1, 2, i.e. specifically the catch 1, which supports the ratchet element 3. In this case, the end 9a of the spring 9 on the ratchet element side engages the above-described raised edge 3c of the ratchet element 3. In fact, the end 9a of the spring 9 on the ratchet element side is connected approximately in the middle to the raised edge 3c of the latching element 3.

[0040] Finally, it can be seen from the illustration in FIG. 3 that the spring 9 is designed as a separate component. In fact, the spring 9 is a leaf spring which is without force in the curved course shown in FIG. 3. In principle, however, the spring 9 can also be connected in one piece to the ratchet element 3, although this is not shown. It is also conceivable to use a resilient extension of a casing 7, also not shown, of the ratchet element 3 as the spring 9. In any case, the described locking mechanism 1, 2 including a sliding element 3 achieves a particularly low-force opening. This is because the abutment surface 4 and the opposing abutment surface 5 roll off one another. The rolling movement is easy and almost noiseless.

[0041] The locking mechanism 1, 2 described in detail above, corresponding to the illustration in FIG. 3, is placed in FIG. 1A to 2B in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The overall design is such that a release lever 10 works or can work on the locking mechanism 1, 2 or the pawl 2. In fact, when the locking mechanism 1, 2, which is in the closed state according to the illustration in FIG. 3, is acted on, the release lever 10 ensures that the pawl 2 is pivoted in the counterclockwise direction indicated in FIG. 3. As a consequence of this, the catch 1 is released from the pawl 2 and opens with the assistance of a spring in the clockwise direction also indicated in FIG. 3, so that a previously caught locking pin 11 is released. This then also applies to the associated motor vehicle door, which is generally and not restrictively a rear side door of a motor vehicle.

[0042] The described opening movement of the locking mechanism 1, 2 assumes that a power locking unit 12 is in its “unlocked” position, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In fact, according to the exemplary embodiment, the power locking unit 12 has a coupling lever 12a as a component. In the variant shown, the power locking unit 12 and the coupling lever 12a coincide, which of course only applies as an example and is in no way restrictive.

[0043] An electromotive drive 13, 14, 15, 16 for the coupling lever 12a can also be seen as part of the power locking unit 12. The electromotive drive 13, 14, 15, 16 has an electric motor 13, which may be equipped with a circumferential thread on its output shaft and which engages in a spindle nut 14. The spindle drive implemented in this way ensures that the spindle nut 14 in FIG. 1A can perform linear adjustment movements in the linear direction L, indicated by a double arrow.

[0044] The spindle nut 14 is coupled to a linear thrust member 15, which can also perform the linear movements indicated in FIG. 1A along the double arrow. The representation of the electromotive drive 13, 14, 15, 16 is to be understood overall as schematic and is mainly intended to clarify the principle. In fact, the specific design can be implemented in detail as described in the applicant's application DE 10 2016 121 188 A1.

[0045] The electromotive drive 13, 14, 15, 16 then also has a blocking lever 16 which is mounted pivotably about an axis 17. In fact, for this purpose, the axis 17 may be implemented in a housing (not shown in more detail) which as a whole houses the motor vehicle door latch shown and described. In addition, the blocking lever 16 is equipped with a spring 18, which acts on the blocking lever 16 in the direction of the linear thrust member 15. For this purpose, the spring 18 is a leg spring, one leg of which is anchored in the aforementioned and not expressly shown housing, while the other leg of the spring or leg spring 18 engages in a recess of the blocking lever 16 and biases the blocking lever 16 counterclockwise with respect to its axis 17, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1A. As a result, a front blocking lug 16a of the blocking lever 16 can interact with the linear thrust member 15, as will be described in more detail below.

[0046] The basic structure also includes a first operating lever 19 and a second operating lever 20, which can best be understood and recognized with the aid of the respective rear view according to FIGS. 1B and 2B. Both operating levers 19, are mounted coaxially relative to one another, realizing a common axis 21. The overall design is such that the first operating lever 19, in the “unlocked” position of the power locking unit 12 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, works on the coupling lever 12 that is then engaged. As a result, the locking mechanism 1, 2 as a whole is opened. This is because in the rear view according to FIG. 1B, action on the first operating lever 19 about the axis 21 in the clockwise direction indicated there corresponds to the fact that in this functional position the second operating lever 20 is carried along and can thus work on the release lever 10, which in turn lifts the pawl 2 from its engagement with the catch 1, so that the locking mechanism 1, 2 can be opened. This presupposes that the coupling lever 12 is in the engaged position shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and consequently the power locking unit 12 assumes its associated “unlocked” functional position. This corresponds to the “child lock off” position if the power locking unit 12 is a child lock.

[0047] According to the invention, the electromotive drive 13, 14, 15, 16 now works or can work on the coupling lever 12a with recourse to the linear thrust member 15, namely to transfer the coupling lever 12a from the engaged position shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B to its disengaged position as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In addition, the linear thrust member 15 is held in at least one of these two positions with the aid of the blocking lever 16.

[0048] In fact, the linear thrust member 15 can assume at least two basic positions, namely the basic position shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and the extended position as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The basic position of the linear thrust member 15 corresponds to the fact that the coupling lever 12a is “engaged.” In contrast, the “disengaged” functional position of the coupling lever 12a pertains to the extended position of the linear thrust member 15.

[0049] The blocking lever 16 holds the linear thrust member 15 in the basic position shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. For this purpose, the blocking lug 16a moves against the linear thrust member 15 and specifically a guide web 22 on the linear thrust member 15 which encloses a guide opening 23 in the interior of the linear thrust member 15. During this process, the blocking lug 16a is held in abutment with the guide web 22 in question with the aid of the spring 18, because the spring 18 acts on the blocking lever 16 in a counterclockwise direction about its axis 17.

[0050] The guide web 22 protrudes from a plane spanned by the linear thrust member 15, in which plane the blocking lever 16 is also arranged. Opposite this plane spanned by the linear thrust member 15, the coupling lever 12a is arranged underneath said linear thrust member and the blocking lever 16 is arranged above it. The coupling lever 12a, like the linear thrust member 15, now has a further guide opening 24. It can be seen that both guide openings 23, 24 are penetrated by a common guide pin 25. The design is also such that the guide pin 25 in question not only extends through the guide opening 24 in the coupling lever 12a and also the guide opening 23 in the linear thrust member 15, but also simultaneously overlaps the guide web 22 of the linear thrust member 15. As a result, the linear thrust member 15 and also the coupling lever 12a are guided not only in the linear direction L specified by the double arrow in FIG. 1A, but also perpendicular thereto.

[0051] The linear thrust member 15 is equipped with a front stop edge 15a. The front stop edge 15a of the linear thrust member 15 interacts with a stop pin 26 on the coupling lever 12a. In addition, the design is such that the stop pin 26 in question on the coupling lever 12a engages in a bolt guide 27 which is implemented and provided in the second operating lever 20. The bolt guide 27 in the second operating lever 20 and the guide opening 24 in the coupling lever 12a are designed predominantly in the same direction in the basic position according to FIGS. 1A and 1B. It can also be seen that in this basic position, the stop pin 26 assumes a head-side position within the bolt guide 27, so that the first operating lever 19 can interact with the stop pin 26 with a stop edge 19a (see FIG. 1B). As a result, if the first operating lever 19 shown in FIG. 1B is acted on about the axis 21 in the clockwise direction indicated there, the first operating lever 19 carries the second operating lever 20 with it in phase about the common axis 21 via the stop pin 26, so that the second operating lever 20 can work on the release lever 10 to open the locking mechanism 1, 2.

[0052] However, if the electromotive drive 13, 14, 15, 16 now ensures that the linear thrust member 15 is transferred from the position in FIG. 1A or the basic position shown there to the extended position according to FIG. 2A, 2B, this corresponds to this a downward movement of the linear thrust member 15. During this process, the front stop edge 15a of the linear thrust member 15 carries the stop pin 26 of the coupling lever 12a, which abuts therewith, so that the stop pin 26 moves “down” within the pin guide 27 in the second operating lever 20. This can be seen from the arrows in FIG. 2A.

[0053] During this process, the guide web 22 also ensures that the blocking lug 16a and consequently the blocking lever 16 are pivoted clockwise against the force of the spring 18 about its axis 17, out of the travel path of the linear thrust member 15 or the guide web 22. The consequence of this is that the force exerted by the blocking lever 16 on the linear thrust member 15 and indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2A does not act on the linear thrust member 15 in the direction of its basic position according to FIG. 1A. At the same time, as a result of the displacement of the stop pin 26 within the pin guide 27, the stop edge 19a of the first operating lever 19 does not reach (or no longer reaches) the stop pin 26, so that an impact in the functional position according to FIG. 2B results in the first operating lever 19 being ineffective compared to the second operating lever 20. This corresponds to the engaged child lock and consequently the “locked” position of the power unit 12. The coupling lever 12a is disengaged accordingly.

[0054] Two sensors or switches 28, 29 can also be seen in the figures. The two sensors or switches 28, 29 are connected to a control unit 30, which is only indicated. With the aid of the control unit 30, not only is the electromotive drive 13, 14, 15, 16 controlled, but the basic position of the linear thrust member 15 can also be determined with the aid of the sensor or switch 28, as shown in FIG. 1A. Likewise, the extended position can be sensed in accordance with the illustration in FIG. 2A, specifically with the aid of the sensor or switch 29. In other words, the engaged child lock or disengaged child lock can also be determined via the sensors or switches 28, 29 and transmitted to the control unit 30. The engaged child lock corresponds to the action on the sensor or switch 29, whereas the disengaged child lock acts on the sensor or switch 28.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0055] 1 Catch [0056] 1, 2 Locking mechanism, locking mechanism component [0057] 2 Pawl [0058] 3 Sliding element, ratchet element [0059] 3a Bearing foot [0060] 3b Load contact [0061] 3c Raised edge [0062] 4 Abutment surface [0063] 4, 5 Abutment surfaces [0064] 5 Opposing abutment surface [0065] 6 Recess [0066] 7 Casing [0067] 8 Guide extension [0068] 9 Spring [0069] 9a End [0070] 9b End [0071] 10 Release lever [0072] 11 Locking pin [0073] 12 power locking unit [0074] 12a Coupling lever [0075] 13 Electric motor [0076] 13, 14, 15, 16 Electromotive drive [0077] 14 Spindle nut [0078] 15 Linear thrust member [0079] 15a Abutment edge [0080] 16 Blocking lever [0081] 16a Blocking lug [0082] 17 Axis [0083] 18 Spring [0084] 19 First operating lever [0085] 19a Abutment edge [0086] 20 Second operating lever [0087] 21 Axis [0088] 22 Guide web [0089] 23 Guide opening [0090] 24 Guide opening [0091] 25 Guide pin [0092] 26 Stop pin [0093] 27 Pin guide [0094] 28 Sensor or switch [0095] 29 Sensor or switch [0096] 30 Control unit [0097] E Locking mechanism plane [0098] L Linear direction