LOCK FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE IN PARTICULAR AN ELECTRICALLY ACTUATABLE MOTOR VEHICLE LOCK

Abstract

A latch for a motor vehicle, in particular an electrically operable latch, comprising a locking mechanism having a catch and at least one pawl, it being possible to ratchet the catch in at least one main ratchet position by means of the pawl, and a further ratchet element located between the catch and the pawl in the engagement region and arranged on the catch, the ratchet element being pivotably accommodated in the catch.

Claims

1. A latch for a motor vehicle, the latch comprising: a locking mechanism having a catch and at least one pawl configured to ratchet the catch in at least one main ratchet position; and a ratchet element that is arranged on the catch and located between the catch and the at least one pawl in an engagement region, wherein the ratchet element is pivotably accommodated in the catch.

2. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main ratchet position of the catch is configured to be set by the ratchet element and the at least one pawl.

3. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism has a neutral moment when the catch is in the at least one main ratchet position.

4. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet element is guided in the latch by a casing of the catch and/or a latch housing and/or a latch case and/or a reinforcing plate.

5. The latch according to claim 4, wherein the catch and/or the catch casing and/or a latch case forms a stop surface for the ratchet element.

6. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet element is held in the catch in a form-fitting manner.

7. The latch according to claim 1, wherein in the at least one main ratchet position, the ratchet element abuts the catch with a maximum abutment surface.

8. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet element is held in the catch at a pivot angle between 10 degrees and 60 degrees.

9. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet element and the at least one pawl are ach formed concentrically to mounting points thereof in an engagement region to cause a rolling movement between the ratchet element and the at least one pawl.

10. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pawl can be held in the at least one main ratchet position by a blocking lever.

11. The latch according to claim 8, wherein the pivot angle is between 20 and 50 degrees.

12. The latch according to claim 11, wherein the pivot angle is between 25 and 45 degrees.

13. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the catch has a metal core and a plastic casing, wherein a mounting point for the ratchet element is formed in the plastic casing.

14. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the catch defines a first abutment surface against which the ratchet element abuts, and a second abutment surface formed in a mounting point for the ratchet element.

15. The latch according to claim 14, wherein the first abutment surface forms a stop surface for the ratchet element to limit a pivoting movement of the ratchet element in the catch.

16. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pawl and the ratchet element have two engagement regions therebetween, wherein the at least one pawl is rotatable from a first position in which the at least one pawl is engaged with the ratchet element in both of the two engagement regions to a second position in which the at least one pawl disengages from the ratchet element in one of the two engagement regions.

17. The latch according to claim 16, wherein the ratchet element is configured to simultaneously pivot in a mounting point on the catch and in one of the two engagement regions on the at least one pawl.

18. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet element is configured to move in a direction that is parallel with a plane in which the catch is rotatable.

19. The latch according to claim 5, wherein the stop surface is formed on the catch and is configured to provide damping for the ratchet element.

Description

[0031] The invention is explained in more detail in the following with reference to the attached drawings on the basis of a preferred exemplary embodiment. However, the principle applies that the exemplary embodiment does not limit the invention, but is merely an advantageous embodiment. The features shown can be implemented individually or in combination with further features of the description as well as the claims, individually or in combination.

[0032] In the drawings:

[0033] FIG. 1 is a basic illustration of a side view of a locking mechanism designed according to the invention in a main ratchet position in engagement with a latch holder,

[0034] FIG. 2 shows the locking mechanism designed according to the invention in accordance with FIG. 1 when a releasing process has been initiated,

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a rolling movement of the ratchet element on the pawl during the opening process of the locking mechanism,

[0036] FIG. 4 shows the end of the rolling process between the ratchet element and the pawl shortly before the pawl is released such that the catch can move in an opening direction, and

[0037] FIG. 5 shows the opened locking mechanism immediately after opening or at the beginning of a closing process of the latch.

[0038] In FIG. 1, a motor vehicle latch 1 is shown in a side view and in a basic illustration with the components essential for explaining the concept of the invention. The motor vehicle latch 1 has an inlet region 2 via which a latch holder 3 can be brought into engagement with the locking mechanism. The main ratchet position of the latch 1 is shown, in which the motor vehicle latch securely positions the component that is movably held on the motor vehicle. The locking mechanism 4, consisting of a pawl 5, a catch 6 and a ratchet element 7, serves to hold the latch holder 3. The pawl 5 is accommodated in the motor vehicle latch so as to be pivotable about a swivel pin 8 and the catch 6 is accommodated in the motor vehicle latch so as to be pivotable about a swivel pin 9. The ratchet element 7 is in turn pivotably held in a mounting point 10 of the catch 6. In this embodiment, the catch 6 has a metal core 11 which is provided with a plastics casing 12.

[0039] In this exemplary embodiment, the ratchet element 7 is accommodated in a mounting point 10 and in the plastics casing 12 of the catch 6. In this case, there is a first abutment surface 13 on which the ratchet element 7 abuts the surface of the catch, and a second abutment surface 14 which is formed in the mounting point 10 of the ratchet element 7. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 1, the latching element 7 abuts the catch 6 with a maximum abutment surface 13, 14. At the same time, however, the ratchet element 7 is pivotably accommodated in the catch 6. The abutment surface 13 also simultaneously forms a stop surface for the ratchet element, so that a pivoting movement of the ratchet element in the catch 6 can be limited.

[0040] In this embodiment there are two engagement regions 15, 16 between the pawl 5 and the ratchet element 7. Here, reference can be made to a primary engagement region 15 and a secondary engagement region 16. A main load direction, which, starting from the catch, is directed in the direction of the pawl swivel pin 8, lies in the primary engagement region 15 between the ratchet element 7 and the pawl 5. The secondary engagement region 16 is also used for power transmission, but can also serve to stabilize the position of the pawl 5, for example when the locking mechanism 4 has a closing moment.

[0041] A force F is introduced into the locking mechanism 4 by the latch holder 3 and in particular by the relative force acting on the latch holder 3 from, for example, a door seal. The force F generates a moment in the direction of the arrow M in the locking mechanism 4, which the pawl 5 counteracts. The force F or the moment M act as forces F, M between the ratchet element 7 and the pawl 5.

[0042] The position of the locking mechanism 4 is now shown in FIG. 2, by the pawl 5 being deflected counterclockwise in the direction of the arrow P by means of a release lever (not shown). The deflection of the pawl 5 in the direction of the arrow P causes the ratchet element 7 to detach itself from the secondary engagement region 16 and move clockwise in the direction of the arrow P1, the ratchet element 7 being pivoted in the mounting point 10 and at the same time in the primary engagement region 15 rolling on the pawl 5. There is consequently no hard unlocking of the locking mechanism in which the pawl 5 is shifted directly in the engagement region 15, 16 against the ratchet element 7, but instead the ratchet element 7 rolls or shifts on the pawl 5. This makes it possible to release the locking mechanism 4 quietly and above all easily.

[0043] In FIG. 3, the pawl 5 was moved further in the direction of the arrow P around the swivel pin 8, as a result of which further rolling between the pawl 5 and the ratchet element 7 was produced. The further rolling of the ratchet element 7 on the pawl 5 has the consequence that the ratchet element 7 abuts a stop surface 17 on the catch 6. A force vector V as a resultant force from the moment M is directed in an opening direction of the pawl 5 at this unlocking stage, so that the locking mechanism 4 opens automatically. The ratchet element 7 now rests exclusively on an engagement region 15 of the pawl 5, so that the force vector V changes its orientation and generates an opening moment in relation to the pawl 5. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 4, the pawl 5 slips automatically from the ratchet element 7, but this is not associated with any haptic feedback for an operator of the motor vehicle, since the locking mechanism 4 opens automatically. It is thus possible to open the locking mechanism 4 easily and with little noise with respect to the rolling movement in the engagement region 15, 16 between the pawl 5 and the ratchet element 7.

[0044] An external stop 18 is shown in FIG. 4 merely by way of example, in which case an abutment surface 17 on the catch 7 can of course be dispensed with. It is of course also conceivable, as shown as a dashed line in FIG. 1, that an additional blocking lever 19 interacts with the locking mechanism 4.

[0045] The fully opened locking mechanism 4 is shown in FIG. 5, the latch holder 3 having disengaged from the catch 6 and the ratchet element 7 being moved back into its starting position. The ratchet element 7 can be spring-loaded or moved back into the starting position by means of a contour in the motor vehicle latch 1. The pawl 5 is preferably spring-loaded in the direction of the catch 6. Due to the design of the motor vehicle latch 1 according to the invention and in particular the use of a ratchet element pivotably accommodated in the catch 6, easy, low-noise and safe opening of the locking mechanism 4 can be achieved.

[0046] Alternatively, the locking mechanism 4 can also have a pre-ratchet. In FIG. 5, a pre-ratchet 20 is provided on the catch 6, a pre-ratchet pawl 21 being shown in dashed lines. The pre-ratchet 20 can be designed, for example, as a cylinder pin or bolt on the catch 6 and, merely by way of example, have a flat abutment surface for the pre-ratchet pawl 21. The pre-ratchet can of course also have a purely cylindrical design. In this embodiment, the pre-ratchet pawl 21 is arranged in a plane parallel to the pawl 5 in the motor vehicle latch 1 and is pivotable about the pin 8. The pawl 5 and the pre-ratchet pawl 21 consequently have a common pin 8, which reduces the number of components required to achieve a pre-ratchet and a main ratchet of the locking mechanism 4 to a minimum.

[0047] The pre-ratchet 20 can be mounted, for example, as a pre-ratchet bolt 20 in an opening of the catch 6. It is also conceivable that the pre-ratchet bolt 20 is passed through the catch 6 in order to achieve maximum stability and to facilitate mounting. The pre-ratchet 21 is designed as a steel part and can have a plastics casing, at least in regions, which can also be designed as a common plastics casing 12 with the catch 6.

[0048] A spring preload loads the pre-ratchet pawl 21 in the direction of the catch 6. Due to the parallel arrangement of the locking mechanism 4 and the pre-ratchet position 21, the locking mechanism 4 first moves, starting from the open position of the locking mechanism 4 shown in FIG. 5, into a pre-ratchet position during closing of the locking mechanism 4, the pre-ratchet pawl 21 engaging with the pre-ratchet 20.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0049] 1 Motor vehicle latch [0050] 2 Inlet region [0051] 3 Latch holder [0052] 4 Locking mechanism [0053] 5 Pawl [0054] 6 Catch [0055] 7 Ratchet element [0056] 8, 9 Swivel pin [0057] 10 Mounting point [0058] 11 Metal core [0059] 12 Plastics casing [0060] 13, 14, 17 Abutment surface [0061] 15, 16 Engagement region [0062] 15 Primary engagement region [0063] 16 Secondary engagement region [0064] 18 Stop [0065] 19 Blocking lever [0066] 20 Pre-ratchet [0067] 21 Pre-ratchet pawl [0068] F Force [0069] M Moment [0070] P, P1 Arrow [0071] V Force vector