MOTOR VEHICLE LOCK, IN PARTICULAR MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK

Abstract

A motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, which in its basic design is equipped with a locking mechanism consisting essentially of a rotary latch and a pawl. In addition, an accumulator lever that is controllable by the rotary latch is realized, which temporarily holds the pawl in its open position (accumulator position) at least during an opening process of the locking mechanism. According to the invention, a common spring acting on the rotary latch and the accumulator lever is provided.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle lock comprising: a locking mechanism including a rotary latch and a pawl, an accumulator lever that is controlled by the rotary latch, wherein the rotary latch temporarily holds the pawl in an open accumulator position at least during an opening process of the locking mechanism, and a spring acting on both the rotary latch and the accumulator lever.

2. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, wherein the spring is a leg spring with a wound section and two spring legs.

3. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 2, wherein the spring is connected by the wound section to the rotary latch.

4. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 2, wherein one spring leg of the two spring legs is a rotary latch spring leg acting on the rotary latch and an other spring leg of the two spring legs is an accumulator lever spring leg acting on the accumulator lever.

5. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 4, wherein the rotary latch spring leg rests against a rotary latch stop of the rotary latch, and the accumulator spring leg rests against an accumulator lever stop of the accumulator lever.

6. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 5, wherein the rotary latch spring leg rests against the rotary latch stop predominantly radially in relation to a rotational axis of the rotary latch.

7. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 5, wherein the accumulator lever spring leg rests against the accumulator lever stop predominantly tangentially in relation to a rotational axis of the rotary latch.

8. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, wherein the rotary latch has a control stop controlling the accumulator lever.

9. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 8, wherein the control stop on the rotary latch interacts with a control projection on the accumulator lever in order to release the pawl from the open accumulator position.

10. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, wherein the rotary latch, the accumulator lever, and the pawl are mounted in a housing on different axes spaced apart from each other.

11. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 10, wherein the different axes are parallel to each other.

12. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 3, wherein the wound section of the spring is arranged concentrically with a rotational axis of the rotary latch.

13. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, wherein in a closed position the accumulator lever engages in a recess in the pawl, and the accumulator lever further has an extension arm that engages against a stop in the pawl in the closed position.

14. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 13, wherein in the open accumulator position, the extension arm of the accumulator lever acts on the stop of the pawl to build up tension in the spring.

Description

[0021] The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to drawings which show only one exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows the motor vehicle lock according to the invention with its essential elements in the closed position,

[0023] FIG. 2 shows the object according to FIG. 1 in the accumulator position or the open position of the pawl, and

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the transition from the accumulator position according to FIG. 2 and the release of the accumulator position.

[0025] The drawings show a motor vehicle lock which is not limited to a motor vehicle door lock. First of all, this has a lock housing 1 which, in a non-limiting manner, may be a lock case 1, which is merely indicated, and/or a housing (made of plastic) that additionally houses the lock case 1. A locking mechanism 2, 3 consisting of a rotary latch 2 and a pawl 3 is mounted in the lock case 1. For this purpose, the rotary latch 2 and the pawl 3 each have an associated rotary latch axis 4 or pawl axis 5. The two axes 4, 5 are largely oriented parallel and spaced apart from one another and, according to the exemplary embodiment, run perpendicularly in relation to the lock case 1 oriented in the drawing plane.

[0026] In addition, an accumulator lever 6 which can be controlled by the rotary latch 2 is also provided. The accumulator lever 6 is also mounted rotatably about an axis 7, which runs perpendicular to the lock case 1 and largely parallel to and spaced apart from the two axes 4, 5. In contrast to the rotary latch 2 and pawl 3, the accumulator lever 6 can be mounted in the previously mentioned housing (made of plastic) or even on the lock case 1.

[0027] As already explained, the accumulator lever 6 can be controlled by the rotary latch 2. For this purpose, the rotary latch 2 has a control stop 2a which controls the accumulator lever 6. The accumulator lever 6 in turn has a control projection 6a. The control stop 2a on the rotary latch 2 can interact with the control projection 6a on the accumulator lever 6 when an accumulator position of the accumulator lever 6, which is to be described in more detail below, and consequently of the pawl 3 is to be released, as will be explained in more detail below and becomes clear with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0028] The accumulator lever 6 that is controllable by the rotary latch 2 ensures that at least during an opening process of the locking mechanism 2, 3, the pawl 3 is temporarily held in its open position, the accumulator position. This accumulator position is shown in FIG. 2, whereas FIG. 3 represents the release of the accumulator position.

[0029] According to the invention, a common spring 8a, 8b and 8c acting on the rotary latch 2 and the accumulator lever 6 is now realized. The spring 8a, b and 8c is a leg spring with a wound section 8a and two spring legs 8b and 8c. The spring 8a, 8b, 8c is connected by its wound section 8a to the rotary latch 2. In fact, the wound section 8a of the spring 8a, 8b, 8c in question is arranged concentrically with respect to the axis 4 of the rotary latch 2 or of the rotary latch axis 4, as can best be seen in FIG. 1.

[0030] Overall, the design is such that the one spring leg 8b of the spring 8a, 8b, 8c is designed as a rotary latch spring leg 8b acting on the rotary latch 2. In contrast, the further second spring leg 8c is an accumulator lever spring leg 8c which acts on the accumulator lever 6. Here, the respective spring leg 8b, 8c rests against a rotary latch stop 2b or an accumulator lever stop 6b.

[0031] In fact, the design is such that the rotary latch spring leg 8b rests predominantly radially or in the radial direction R on the rotary latch stop 2b in relation to the axis 4 of the rotary latch 2. In other words, the rotary latch spring leg 8b and the rotary latch stop 2b extend predominantly in the radial direction R indicated in FIG. 1 in relation to the axis 4 of the rotary latch 2 or rotary latch axis 4. In contrast, the accumulator lever spring leg 8c rests against the accumulator lever stop 6b largely tangentially in relation to the axis 4 of the rotary latch 2. In other words, the accumulator lever spring leg 8c and the accumulator lever stop 6b extend largely in the tangential direction T likewise shown in FIG. 1 in relation to the axis 4 of the rotary latch 2 or rotary latch axis 4.

[0032] In this way, the rotary latch spring leg 8b can exert a force on the rotary latch 2, indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1, that is predominantly perpendicular to the radial direction R in relation to the axis 4 of the rotary latch 2, so that a torque acting on the axis 4 in the counterclockwise direction results therefrom. This torque in the counterclockwise direction ensures that the rotary latch 2 is acted upon in the opening direction about its axis 4, i.e. in the counterclockwise direction, as can be seen from the sequence of FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0033] The mostly tangential abutment of the accumulator lever spring leg 8c on the accumulator lever stop 6b has the result with respect to the accumulator lever 6 that said lever is also acted upon by a force indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1, which ensures that the accumulator lever 6 is acted upon with a torque likewise acting in the counterclockwise direction in relation to its axis 7. As a result, the common spring 8a, 8b, 8c not only ensures that the rotary latch 2 is acted upon in its opening direction, but additionally the accumulator lever 6 with its control projection 6a undergoes the desired spring action in the direction of the control stop 2a on the rotary latch 2.

[0034] The mode of operation is as follows. FIG. 1 shows the closed state of the locking mechanism 2, 3. In this closed state, the pawl 3 interacts with a main ratchet 9 of the rotary latch 2. In addition to the main ratchet 9, the rotary latch 2 also has a pre-ratchet 10. In principle, however, it is also possible to work with only one of these two ratchets 9, 10 on the rotary latch 2. In the illustrated closed position of the locking mechanism 2, 3 according to FIG. 1, the accumulator lever 6 engages in a recess 3a of the pawl 3. In addition, it can be seen that the accumulator lever 6 rests with an extension arm 6c against a stop 3b on the pawl 3.

[0035] This is ensured by a force indicated by an arrow. This force results from the fact that the accumulator lever spring leg 8c acts on the accumulator lever stop 6b in the force direction likewise indicated in FIG. 1 and thus ensures a (slight) torque in the counterclockwise direction relative to the axis 7 of the accumulator lever 6.

[0036] Starting from the closed position or main locking position according to FIG. 1, the locking mechanism 2, 3 can now be opened. To this end, a release lever (not expressly shown), which is acted upon by a motor and/or manually, may ensure that the pawl 3 is moved counterclockwise about its axis or pawl axis 5 starting from the position according to FIG. 1. As a result, the pawl 3 reaches the position shown in FIG. 2 and has been lifted away from the rotary latch 2. This position of the pawl 3 is assumed and maintained against a pawl spring 11 that pretensions the pawl 3 in the direction of the rotary latch 2. This is ensured by the accumulator lever 6 which holds the pawl 3 lifted away from the rotary latch 2 in its open position shown in FIG. 2. This corresponds to the accumulator position of the pawl 3 or of the accumulator lever 6. In this accumulator position, an extension arm 6c of the accumulator lever 6 strikes the stop 3b of the pawl 3 or overlaps this stop, as can be seen from FIG. 2. Since the accumulator lever 6 is provided with the torque acting in the counterclockwise direction about its axis 7 due to the force built up by the accumulator lever spring leg 8c, the extension arm 6c of the accumulator lever 6 is to held at the stop 3b on the pawl 3. In this accumulator position or open position of the pawl 3, the rotary latch 2 can pivot open in the opening direction, specifically without the pawl 3 being able to latch with the rotary latch 2. In other words, both the main ratchet 9 and the pre-ratchet 10 of the rotary latch 2 each move along the pawl 3. In this case, the rotary latch 2 is acted upon in the counterclockwise direction about the axis 4 by means of the rotary latch spring leg 8b.

[0037] In the transition from FIG. 2 to FIG. 3, it can be seen that, in the accumulator position according to FIG. 2, the control projection 6a on the accumulator lever 6 is moved against the control stop 2a on the rotary latch or the control stop 2a on the opening rotary latch 2 has moved in the direction of the control projection 6a on the accumulator lever 6. As soon as the rotary latch 2 with its pre-ratchet 10 has passed the pawl 3, an interaction arises between, on the one hand, the control stop 2a on the rotary latch 2 opening counterclockwise around its axis 4 and, on the other hand, the control projection 6a on the accumulator lever 6.

[0038] This has the consequence that, during the transition from FIG. 2 to FIG. 3, the control projection 6a on the accumulator lever 6 moves along the ramp-like control stop 2a on the rotary latch 2, so that the accumulator lever 6 is thereby pivoted clockwise about its axis 7 during the transition from FIG. 2 to FIG. 3. As a result, the extension arm 6c on the accumulator lever 6 is released from the stop 3b on the pawl 3 and this process ensures that the accumulator position according to FIG. 2 of the pawl 3 or of the accumulator lever 6 is released.

[0039] Following this, the pawl 3 can be supported on the outer circumference of the now fully open rotary latch 2. A locking pin (not explicitly shown) previously caught by the rotary latch 2 is released. The pawl spring 11 ensures the contact of the pawl 3 on the outer circumferential side of the rotary latch 2.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference signs 1 Lock case R Radial direction 2, 3 Locking mechanism T angential direction 2 Rotary latch 3 Pawl 4, 7, 5 Axes 4 Rotary latch axis 5 Pawl axis 7 Axis 6 Accumulator lever 6a Control projection 6b Accumulator lever stop 6c Extension arm 8a, 8b, 8c Spring 8a Wound section 8b Rotary latch spring leg 8c Accumulator lever spring leg 9, 10 Catches 9 Main catch 10 Pre-ratchet 11 Pawl spring