Motor vehicle door lock

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock, comprising a locking mechanism (22), an electric drive (26) which allows the locking mechanism (22) to be unlocked, a child safety device (29) with a child safety sensor (31), the electric drive (26) can be activated or not activated depending on the switch position of the child safety sensor (31), and a closing drive (42) which transfers the locking mechanism (22) from a pre-locked position into a main locked position. A locking mechanism sensor (25) is associated with the locking mechanism (22) and depending on the switch position of the locking mechanism sensor (25), the drive (26) can be activated or not activated.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle latch comprising: a locking mechanism for a motor vehicle door, an electrical drive, whereby the locking mechanism can be unlocked by the electrical drive, a child safety lock device with a child safety sensor, and a cinching drive configured to move the locking mechanism from a pre-ratchet position into a main ratchet position, a locking mechanism sensor corresponding to the locking mechanism, an operating lever, at least one operating switch that is operated by the operating lever, and a control unit configured to: query a switching position of the at least one operating switch, query a switching position of the child safety sensor if the at least one operating switch is activated, query the cinching device if the child safety sensor is activated, query a switching position of the locking mechanism sensor if the cinching device is activated, and open the motor vehicle door if the locking mechanism sensor is deactivated, wherein the control unit is further configured to activate the electrical drive based on the switching positions of the child safety sensor and the locking mechanism sensor.

2. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism sensor is configured to detect whether the locking mechanism is in the pre-ratchet position or the main ratchet position.

3. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism includes a catch and wherein the locking mechanism sensor is arranged on the catch.

4. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1 further comprising a triggering lever that is engageable with the locking mechanism and a coupling lever for coupling the operating lever with the triggering lever.

5. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 4 further comprising a bolting lever configured to move the coupling lever.

6. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 4 further comprising an internal operating lever, wherein the child safety device interacts with the coupling lever whereby the child safety device and the internal operating lever can be uncoupled.

7. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein an internal operating lever and an external operating lever are accommodated coaxially.

8. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the operating lever and a triggering lever are accommodated coaxially.

9. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1 further comprising a wake-up switch that is operated by the operating lever.

10. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1 further comprising a release switch for switching off the child safety device.

11. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 8, wherein the triggering lever is engageable with the electrical drive for unlocking the locking mechanism.

12. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1 further comprising a coupling lever, a triggering lever for unlocking the locking mechanism, an internal operating lever engageable with the triggering lever, and an external operating lever engageable with the triggering lever.

13. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 12, wherein the coupling lever has a first position in which the coupling lever couples the internal operating lever and the external operating lever with the triggering lever, a second position in which the external operating lever is disengaged from the triggering lever, and a third position in which both the external operating lever and the internal operating lever are disengaged from the triggering lever.

14. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 13, wherein the child safety device is engageable with the coupling lever for uncoupling the internal operating lever from the triggering lever.

Description

(1) FIG. 1 an electrically operable motor vehicle latch according to the state of the art,

(2) FIG. 2 the top view of an electrically operable motor vehicle lateral door latch according to an embodiment of the invention,

(3) FIG. 3 a flow diagram to illustrate operation of an internal operating lever on a motor vehicle lateral door latch according to the state of the art, and

(4) FIG. 4 a flow diagram for opening of a lateral door by means of an internal operating lever for the electrical opening of the door according to the invention.

(5) In FIG. 1 a class-specific motor vehicle latch is reproduced according to the state of the art. A triggering lever 1 is pivotably accommodated around an axis 2. The triggering lever 1 is impelled by an electromotor 3 and a drive pulley 4 in the direction of the arrow so that a locking mechanism can be unlocked. An operating lever 5 is also pivotably accommodated around the axis 2 coaxially with the triggering lever 1. The operating lever 5 can be coupled with the bolting lever 10 by means of the coupling lever 6. The coupling lever 6 also interacts with the child safety element 14.

(6) If the motor vehicle latch is now bolted and the child safety device engaged, an occupant of the motor vehicle cannot unbolt the latch in the closed state and thus cannot open the door. In particular in the case in which the motor vehicle latch has a cinching drive, the motor vehicle door should be able to be opened during electrical cinching by means of the internal door handle or the internal operating lever. The child safety device must be deactivated for this purpose. Deactivation can occur temporarily, for example, by means of an electromotor not illustrated in FIG. 1 and directly acting on the child safety element.

(7) In FIG. 2, a motor vehicle door latch 21 according to the invention is reproduced in principle. The motor vehicle door latch 21 has a locking mechanism 22 consisting of a pawl 23 and a catch 24. A locking mechanism sensor 25 interacts directly with the catch 24. As can be recognized, the position of the catch 24 is queried or detected by means of the locking mechanism sensor 25 directly. A triggering lever 28 can be operated by means of an electrical drive 26 and a drive pulley 27. The triggering lever 28 is thus able to unlock the locking mechanism 22. By means of a child safety device 29 the motor vehicle latch 21 can be disabled by means of an internal door handle 30 in such a way that the locking mechanism 22 cannot be unlocked. Whether the child safety device 29 is engaged or not, i.e. activated or deactivated, can be recorded by the child safety sensor 31.

(8) A non-illustrated cinching drive acts directly on the locking mechanism 22, in particular on the catch 24, and is able to transfer the locking mechanism 22 from a pre-ratchet position into a main ratchet position. In the main ratchet position of the locking mechanism 22 the catch 24 can activate the locking mechanism sensor 25, for example.

(9) By means of an operating lever 32 a first wake-up switch 33 and an opening switch 34 can be operated. The operating lever 32 can be coupled with the bolting lever 36 by means of a coupling lever 35. A tappet 37 acts between the child safety device 29 and on the bolting device 36 and the coupling lever 35.

(10) The switching elements 25, 31, 33, 34, 38 and 39 contained in the motor vehicle latch 21 are connected to a control unit 40 as indicated with the dot-dashed lines. The interplay or the engagement of the switching means 25, 31, 33, 34, 38 and 39 during operation of the internal operating lever 30 during cinching in cooperation with the control unit 40 is reproduced in the following flow diagrams.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram for opening of a lateral door and in particular a rear lateral door, in an operation of the internal door handle 30 and thus the operating lever 32.

(12) If the internal door handle 30 and thus the operating lever 32 move, the opening switch 34 is thus operated, whereby the wake-up switch 33 in particular is operated initially. If the opening switch is not operated, the door thus does not open. If the opening switch 34 was operated on the contrary, a further querying occurs in respect of whether the child safety sensor 31 is activated or deactivated.

(13) If the child safety switch was not activated, the door can thus be opened in an electrically operated manner. If the child safety switch was activated and thus the child safety device is engaged, a first query occurs as to whether by means of a release switch 41 the child safety device 29 was temporarily switched off. A temporary switch-off of the child safety sensor can occur by the driver of the vehicle, for example. If no temporary switch-off of the release switch occurred, the door is therefore not opened. If the release switch 41 was operated on the contrary, the door can thus be opened which can be found in the flow diagram in the lower right box.

(14) If a cinching process 42 occurs after querying the child safety sensor 31 the door should be able to be opened by means of the internal door handle 30. The child safety device 29 therefore needs to be deactivated mechanically. The mechanical deactivation, for example, with an electrical drive is reproduced with the box 43 in the flow diagram. The door can then be opened. As an example, it is referred to that according to the query of the cinching 42 the door can then not be opened by means of the internal door handle 30 if the cinching process is not activated. FIG. 3 thus shows that a mechanical drive is required for the child safety device 29 to open the door by means of the internal door handle 30 during cinching.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram in which the locking mechanism sensor 25 is incorporated into the query for controlling the operating lever 32 during cinching of the locking mechanism 22. After operation of the internal door handle 30 and thus the operating lever 32 activation of the opening switch 34 takes place initially and the query as to whether the opening switch 34 was operated or not. If the opening switch 34 was operated, the control queries whether the child safety sensor 31 was activated or is deactivated.

(16) If the child safety catch 29 is engaged, two alternative routes are thus possible. On the one hand, the release switch 41 can have been operated so that the door can be opened. And, on the other hand, a query occurs as to whether the cinching 42 lasts or is not activated. If the cinching 42 is in progress, i.e. the locking mechanism is usually transferred from a pre-ratchet position into a main ratchet position in an electrically operated manner a further query of the locking mechanism sensor 25 thus occurs as to whether the locking mechanism 22 is already completely locked, i.e. is located in the main ratchet.

(17) If the locking mechanism 22 is not yet in the main ratchet position, the cinching 42 continues and the door can be opened by means of the internal door handle 30 or the operating lever 32. The locking mechanism sensor 25 is queried for querying as to whether the locking mechanism 22 is already in the main ratchet position. The location of the catch 24 or the pawl 23 can be queried, detected and/or recorded, for example, by means of the locking mechanism sensor according to how many sensors 25 or what type of sensors 25 are used. Thus, according to the invention, mechanical deactivation of the child safety device 29 can be dispensed with. The electrical drive for the child safety device 29 can thus be omitted.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(18) 1 Triggering lever 2 Axis 3 Electromotor 4 Drive pulley 5 Operating lever 6 Coupling lever 10 Locking lever 14 Child safety element 21 Motor vehicle latch 22 Locking mechanism 23 Pawl 24 Catch 25 Locking mechanism sensor 26 Electrical drive 27 Drive disk 28 Triggering lever 29 Child safety device 30 Internal door handle 31 Child safety sensor 32 Operating lever 33 Wake-up switch 34 Opening switch 35 Coupling lever 36 Locking lever 37 Tappet 38, 39 Sensor 40 Control unit 41 Release switch 42 Cinching device 43 Electrical deactivation of the child safety device