Abstract
The invention relates to a closing device for a door or flap, in particular for a door or flap of a motor vehicle, comprising a locking mechanism that consists of a rotary latch (1) and at least one pawl (2) for locking the rotary latch (1) and an impact protection element, said impact protection element being moved out of its protecting position when the door or flap is closed at a speed below a threshold value and the impact protection element not being moved out of is protecting position or only being moved out with a certain delay when the door or flap is closed at a speed above a threshold value. In this manner, any damage caused by an impact can be avoided in a technically simple manner.
Claims
1. A latching device for a door or flap of a motor vehicle comprising: a locking mechanism comprising a catch and at least a pawl for latching of the catch; a control lever pivotably mounted on a common axis; and an impact protector pivotably mounted adjacent the control lever on the common axis and connected to the control lever by a spring, the impact protector having a mass that is greater than a mass of the control lever, wherein when the door or flap is closed at a speed below a threshold value, the catch is pivoted at the speed below the threshold value into direct engagement against the control lever to pivot the control lever, and the control lever and the impact protector are pivoted jointly around the common axis via the spring connected therebetween, the impact protector being moved out of a protective position in which the impact protector is configured to absorb an impact on the latch device to prevent damage to the latching device, and wherein when the door or flap is closed at a speed above the threshold value, the catch is pivoted at the speed above the threshold value into direct engagement against the control lever to pivot the control lever, and the impact protector is maintained in the protective position via inertia of the mass of the impact protector.
2. The latching device according to claim 1, wherein the control arm is part of the pawl of the locking mechanism.
3. The latching device according to claim 1, wherein the control arm is outside of the plane within which the catch is rotated.
4. The latching device according to claim 1, wherein the impact protector is a pivotable blocking lever.
5. The latching device according to claim 1, wherein the control arm with the blocking lever primarily includes a right angle when the locking mechanism is open.
6. The latching device according to claim 1, wherein the catch is initially adjacent to the pawl during closure and subsequently releases the pawl whereby the pawl is pivotable into the ratchet position.
7. The latching device according to claim 6, wherein an arm of the catch is adjacent to a control contour of the pawl.
8. The latching device according to claim 7, wherein the control contour is formed by a protrusion.
9. The latching device according to claim 1 further comprising a hood latch arresting hook which is pivoted following unratcheting of the locking mechanism for opening a pertaining door or flap.
10. The latching device according to claim 9, wherein the impact protector and the hood latch arresting hook are pivotably located by a common axis.
11. The latching device according to claim 9, wherein the hood latch arresting hook is pivoted backwards and forwards during closure.
12. The latching device according to claim 1, wherein the catch has an overstroke position into which the catch is configured to move when the catch moves past the ratcheted position, wherein a pertaining hood is further lowered by at least 10 mm when the catch moves to the overstroke position.
13. A motor vehicle with a hood which is configured to receive an impact that moves the locking mechanism past a main ratchet position, the motor vehicle encompassing a latching device according to claim 1.
Description
(1) The following are shown:
(2) FIG. 1: Locking mechanism during closure before striking of the catch on a control lever;
(3) FIG. 2: Locking mechanism during closure after striking of the catch on a control lever at low speed;
(4) FIG. 3: Locking mechanism during closure after striking of the catch on a control lever at high speed;
(5) FIG. 4: Locking mechanism with catch in the main ratchet position;
(6) FIG. 5: Open locking mechanism;
(7) FIG. 6: Locking mechanism during closure of the hood;
(8) FIG. 7: Locking mechanism during closure of the hood;
(9) FIG. 8: Locking mechanism during closure of the hood;
(10) FIG. 9: Locking mechanism during closure of the hood;
(11) FIG. 10: Locking mechanism during closure of the hood;
(12) FIG. 11: Locking mechanism ratcheted in the main ratchet;
(13) FIG. 12: Locking mechanism with catch in overstroke position.
(14) FIGS. 1 to 3 show a perspective view of a catch 1 of a locking mechanism which is pivotably located on a non-illustrated plate by its axis 2. A blocking lever 3 with a great mass (compared to the control lever 6) is pivotably located on a non-illustrated plate by its axis 4 and forms an impact protector for the catch when a door or flap is closed at excessively high speed.
(15) A locking bolt 5 is illustrated which is attached to a non-illustrated hood.
(16) A control lever 6 is pivotably located on the axis 4. The control lever 6 and impact protector or blocking lever 3 are connected via a pre-tensioned spring 7. The spring 7 is held by the axis 4. A leg of the pre-tensioned spring 7 is adjacent to a vertically protruding flap 12 of the blocking lever 3. The other leg is pre-tensioned on the control lever 6. The common center of gravity of the control lever 6 and the blocking lever 3 is preferably located in such a way below the axis 4 that the blocking lever 3 moves by gravity into its protective position shown in FIG. 1 and can be moved here by gravity. Alternatively or additionally, a pre-tensioned spring 9 can exist (shown in FIG. 4) which jointly moves the control lever 6 and the blocking lever 3 into the protective position and can maintain it here.
(17) FIG. 1 shows the start of a closure process. The locking bolt 5 is moved into the infeed section of the catch 1 by closure of a non-illustrated hood. Starting from its open position, the catch 1 has thus been pivoted in the direction of the main ratchet position, but has not yet reached the control lever 6.
(18) If the door or flap is further closed, the locking bolt 5 pivots the catch 1 further around its axis 2 in the direction of the main ratchet position and in the case of FIGS. 1 to 3 in an anti-clockwise direction. Thus, the catch 1 reaches the free end 8 of the control lever 6. The free end 8 of the control lever 6, onto which the catch 1 strikes with an arm of the fork-shaped inlet slit is designed in a beveled or ramp-like manner, such that following such a striking the catch 1 pivots the control lever 6 around the axis 4 in an anti-clockwise direction. If this occurs at sufficiently low speed, the control lever 6 and the blocking lever 3 behave at least principally like a rigid body due to connection by means of the spring 7 and are therefore pivoted jointly around the axis 4 in an anti-clockwise direction, as illustrated by the comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2. The blocking lever 3 thus leaves its protective position. Consequently, the catch 1 can then be pivoted further in the direction of the ratchet position in order to be ultimately ratcheted by a non-illustrated pawl.
(19) If, on the contrary, the catch 1 is pivoted excessively quickly, the control lever 6 and the blocking lever 3 do not behave like a rigid body. This is prevented by the inertia of the mass of the blocking lever 3. Then only the control lever 6 is pivoted around the axis 4 in an anti-clockwise direction as depicted in FIG. 3. The blocking lever 3 remains in its protective position as shown in FIG. 3. The locking bolt 5 will then strike the free end with the bent-off flap of the ejector lever 14 and pivot it around its axis 15 in an anti-clockwise direction. The pivoting movement of the ejector lever 14 is blocked as soon as the bent-off flap strikes the blocking lever 3. The associated impact forces are subsequently introduced into the plate to which the blocking lever 3 is attached.
(20) The ejector lever in the case of FIG. 4 is preferably pivoted against the force of a pre-tensioned, non-illustrated spring in the direction of the blocking lever 3. Thus, the closure speed of the hood is already decelerated and the impact on the blocking lever 3 thus advantageously reduced. It is thus further attained that following the blockage the hood is lifted again somewhat by the spring force in order to attain and ensure that the blocking lever is reliably moved out of its blocking position by the spring force of the spring 7. Thereafter, the ejector lever can be rotated by a non-illustrated electrical drive sufficiently slowly in the case of FIG. 3 in an anti-clockwise direction and thus lowered. The electrical drive can be started up by a non-illustrated sensor or microswitch by the sensor or microswitch, for example, querying the position of the blocking lever 3 and being activated as soon as the blocking lever 3 has left its blocking position. This slow, controlled lowering by an electrical drive also has the advantage that in the closed state the gap or the joint can be minimized which then remains between the hood and the adjacent chassis.
(21) FIG. 4 shows a top view of the reverse compared to FIGS. 1 to 3, which illustrates further details. A spring 9 is braced with a leg on a wall 10 and with the other leg on the control lever 6. By means of the spring 9 following a deflection of the control lever 6 together with the blocking lever 3 it can be pivoted back into the starting position, i.e. in the protective position (in the case of FIG. 4 in an anti-clockwise direction). To enable the control lever 6 and the blocking lever 3 to be moved together back into the protective position, a lever arm 11 of the control lever 6 is adjacent to the bent-off flap 12 of the impact protector or blocking lever 3. If the control lever 6 in the case of FIG. 4 is pivoted in an anti-clockwise direction, this rotary movement is transmitted by the arm 11 and the flap 12 acting as a stop onto the blocking lever 3.
(22) The control lever 6 has an installation area 13 which is adjacent to one or both arms of the catch 1 when the catch is pivoted into its main ratchet position. FIG. 4 shows the case where the catch 1 has reached its main ratchet position. By adjacency in the installation area 13 noises and mechanical stresses are prevented.
(23) FIG. 4 illustrates that the locking bolt 5 is capable of being supported on a free lever end of the ejector lever 14. By pivoting in an anti-clockwise direction (in the case of FIG. 4) the ejector lever 14 can lift the hood again following an unratcheting of the locking mechanism. This can occur by means of spring force. A non-illustrated electrical drive can pivot the ejector lever 14 alternatively or additionally in one design.
(24) FIGS. 5-12 show a further execution form of the invention. FIG. 5 shows an open locking mechanism of this further design. FIGS. 6-10 show a sequence of movements of the locking mechanism during closure of a pertaining hood. FIG. 11 shows the ratcheted locking mechanism when the hood is closed. FIG. 12 shows the locking mechanism in which the catch 1 is in an overstroke position.
(25) The locking mechanism shown in FIGS. 5 to 12 comprises a catch 1 and a pawl 16. The pawl 16 can be pivoted around its axis 17. The pawl 16 comprises a ratchet hook 18 which can be ratcheted with a ratchet hook 19 of the catch 1. The pawl 16 demonstrates a control arm 20 with which a speed-dependent pivoting of the blocking lever 3 is controlled. The control arm 20 demonstrates an extended construction which with the blocking lever 3 primarily includes a right angle when the locking mechanism is in the open position as shown in FIG. 5.
(26) There is a hood latch arresting hook 21 which can be pivoted around the axis 4. The hood latch arresting hook 21 possesses an entrance incline 22 which the locking bolt 5 initially strikes as shown in FIG. 1 when the pertaining hood is closed. If the hood and thus the locking bolt 5 is lowered further, the locking bolt 5 initiates a torque into the hood latch arresting hook 21 via the entrance incline 22. Consequently, the hood latch arresting hook 21 can be pivoted around the axis 4 in a clockwise direction. The hood latch arresting hook 21 can thus intercept the force of a first impact during closure of a hood. The entrance incline 22 forms the upper side of a hook 23. The hook 23 prevents a hood being able to open in an unscheduled manner when the locking bolt 5 has passed the area of the hook 23 and has been moved into the locking mechanism. If the locking bolt 5 has passed the area of the hook 23, the locking bolt 5 strikes a bracket-shaped protruding control contour 24, as shown in FIG. 6. As a result, an impact during closure is further prevented. Furthermore, by means of the control contour 24 the hood latch arresting hook 21 is pivoted back around the axis 4 in an anti-clockwise direction until the position shown in FIG. 7 is attained, in which the locking bolt 5 strikes the collecting arm 28 of the catch 1. FIG. 7 further illustrates that now the locking bolt 5 cannot be moved out of the locking mechanism because it is prevented from doing so by the hook 23. The locking bolt is now located in an infeed section 25 of a plate 26 preferably made of metal to which the locking mechanism is attached.
(27) The locking bolt 5 can only be moved out of the locking mechanism when the hood latch arresting hook 21 is suitably pivoted around the axis 4 again in a clockwise direction. This can be activated manually or electrically.
(28) In principle, the hood latch arresting hook 21 is pre-tensioned by a spring in such a way that the hood latch arresting hook 21 can be pivoted by spring force in an anti-clockwise direction.
(29) If the locking bolt 5 is moved further into the infeed section 25, the catch 1 is thus pivoted around its axis 2 in an anti-clockwise direction. The locking bolt 5 strikes a further control contour 27 of the hood latch arresting hook as shown in FIG. 8. By means of the further control contour 27 the hood latch arresting hook 21 is in principle pivoted against the force of a pre-tensioned spring around the axis 4 as a consequence of the further lowering of the hood and thus the further lowering of the locking bolt 5, whereby the lowering speed is further decelerated.
(30) Starting from FIG. 8, a further lowering of the locking bolt 5 into the infeed section 25 causes the catch 1 to be pivoted further in an anti-clockwise direction and thus, in conjunction with this, the pawl 16 is now pivoted around its axis 17 in a clockwise direction for the following reason. The pawl 16 is pre-tensioned by a spring in the clockwise direction and can therefore be pivoted by spring force in a clockwise direction. The pawl 1 is pre-tensioned by a spring also in the clockwise direction and can therefore be pivoted by spring force in a clockwise direction. Now the catch 1 must be pivoted in an anti-clockwise direction by the latch holder or locking bolt 5 of the hood caused by closure of the hood. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the free end of the collecting arm 28 is adjacent to the catch 1 on a control contour 29 of the pawl 16 which is bracket-shaped in places and retains the pawl 16 in the open position. The control contour 29 is formed as a protrusion. The bracket shape to the tip of the protrusion enables suitable gliding of the catch along the control contour 29. If the catch 1 becomes disengaged from the pawl 16 by further pivoting as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 the pawl 16 is pivoted in a clockwise direction due to the spring pre-tensioning in a clockwise direction.
(31) The control arm 20 of the pawl 16 for the blocking lever 3 is offset in such a way that the catch 1 can glide past it as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11. Starting from FIG. 8, the situation shown in FIG. 9 is initially reached and then the position shown in FIG. 10. In FIG. 9, the control arm 20 of the pawl 16 is still adjacent to the blocking lever 3, which prevents the blocking lever 3 relevantly pre-tensioned by a spring from leaving its blocking position. This changes during the transition to the position according to FIG. 10. Here, the control arm 20 now releases the blocking lever 3. Consequently, the blocking lever can now be pivoted by the force of a pre-tensioned spring in an anti-clockwise direction around its axis 4.
(32) If the pawl 16 has been pivoted excessively fast around its axis 17 in a clockwise direction, the blocking lever 3 cannot be moved or cannot be moved quickly enough out of its blocking position. It then strikes the locking bolt 5 on the blocking lever 3 which prevents the locking bolt 5 being able to be moved further into the infeed section 25. An impact protector is thus ready.
(33) FIG. 11 shows the situation after the blocking lever 3 is moved out of its blocking situation due to its pre-tensioned spring, i.e. is pivoted around its axis 4 in an anti-clockwise direction. Only such a pivoting of the blocking lever 3 enables further lowering (plunging) of the locking bolt 5 into the infeed section 25 in order to enable an impacting or plunging as shown in FIG. 12. Both ratchet hooks 18 and 19 ratchet into one another, whereby a pivoting of the catch 1 in the clockwise direction is prevented. Starting from the ratcheted position, the catch 1 can also attain an overstroke position, as shown in FIG. 12. This overstroke position enables lowering of the hood and acts as pedestrian protection in order to minimize the impact of a pedestrian onto the pertaining hood in the event of an accident.
(34) The hood latch arresting hook 21 is suitably designed in such a way that the hood with its locking bolt 5 can plunge in the closed position (see FIG. 12). The hood latch arresting hook 21 itself does not intercept any impact of a pedestrian on the hood, but allows the locking bolt 5 to plunge in the closed state of the hood during an impact.
(35) If the hood is closed too quickly, the locking bolt 5 impacts on the blocking lever 3.
(36) An unwanted opening of the hood, for example due to failure of the main ratchet, is prevented by the hood latch arresting hook 21.
(37) At the same time, the hood latch arresting hook 21 prevents the hood springing up after intentional opening. Consequently, the last opening step is performed manually, for example.
(38) FIGS. 8 to 11 illustrate that the control arm 20 is outside of the plane within which the catch 1 can be rotated.
(39) The load arm of the catch which encompasses the hook 19 is considerably shorter than the collecting arm 20 as the collecting arm 20 needs to reach to the control contour 29 on the one hand and on the other hand the load arm must be short enough for the locking bolt 5 to reach into the locking mechanism.
(40) With the exception of the control arm 20, the catch 1 and the pawl 16 are in a common plane. The blocking lever and the control arm are in a common plane, for example as shown in FIGS. 5 to 12 before the catch 1. In a third plane, the hood latch arresting hook 21 is thus located, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 12 behind the catch 1 and the pawl 16.
(41) If, starting from the ratcheted position, the pawl 16 is moved out of its ratcheted position, the catch 1 is thus released. The catch 1 can then pivot into its open position in a clockwise direction. The control arm 20 then pivots the blocking lever 3 back into its impact-protecting position.
REFERENCE SIGN LIST
(42) 1: Catch 2: Axis for the catch 3: Blocking lever/impact protector 4: Axis for the blocking lever impact protector 5: Locking bolt 6: Control lever 7: Spring for connection of the control lever to the impact protector 8: free end of the control lever 9: Spring 10: Wall 11: Lever arm of the control lever 12: Flap of the blocking lever 13: Installation area of the control lever 14: Ejector lever 15: Ejector lever axis 16: Pawl 17: Axis for the pawl 18: Ratchet hook for the pawl 19: Ratchet hook for the catch 20: Control arm for the pawl 21: Hood latch arresting hook 22: Hood latch arresting hook—entrance incline 23: Hook 24: Bracket-shaped control contour 25: Infeed section 26: Plate 27: Further hood latch arresting hook—control contour 28: Collecting arm of the catch 29: Control contour of the pawl
