Motor vehicle door lock and method for selectively operating a motor vehicle door lock with or without a security device

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock which is equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2) consisting of essentially a rotary latch (1) and a pawl (2), in addition to an actuating lever chain (4) and a locking unit (5, 6). Said motor vehicle door lock also comprises a security device (8, 9, 10) which can optionally set the actuating lever chain (4) and/or the locking unit (5, 6) in a non-functioning state/functioning state. According to the invention, said security device (8, 9, 10) is designed as a retrofitted module (8, 9, 10) which can be connected, according to requirements, to a base module (1-6 and 11), said module surrounding the largest part of the locking mechanism (1, 2), the actuating lever chain (4) and the locking unit (5, 6).

Claims

1. A motor vehicle door lock comprising: a locking mechanism comprising a rotary latch and pawl, an actuating lever chain, a locking unit, a base module which surrounds the largest part of the locking mechanism, the actuating lever chain and the locking unit; an optional security device that comprises an actuating pin that interacts with a coupling element of the actuating lever chain in its installed state, wherein the optional security device is designed as an anti-theft device, wherein the optional security device selectively sets the actuating lever chain and/or the locking unit in a non-functioning/functioning state, wherein, depending on the position of the optional security device, the coupling element couples or uncouples the actuating lever chain and the locking unit, wherein the optional security device is a retrofitted module adapted to be selectively connected to the locking mechanism, and wherein the optional security device contains a securing element, a security motor impinging on the security element, wherein the security element and the security motor are covered and supported by the security module housing and wherein the security element is a circular disk segment that can be pivoted by a worm gear coupled to the security motor.

2. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the retrofitted module contains a retrofitted module housing.

3. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 2, wherein the base module contains a base module housing accommodating at least the locking mechanism, the actuating lever chain and the locking unit.

4. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 2, wherein the retrofitted module housing is adapted to be selectively attached to the base module housing.

5. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 2, wherein the retrofitted module housing and the base module housing are each injection moulded plastic parts.

6. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 3, wherein the retrofitted module housing and the base module housing are equipped with corresponding centering elements.

7. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 6, wherein the centering elements are designed as pins and/or recesses and/or projections.

8. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 6, wherein the centering elements are formed on the respective module housing and/or on built-in elements in or on the module housing.

9. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the actuating pin laterally protrudes the retrofitted module housing.

10. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the base module contains a base module housing accommodating at least the locking mechanism, the actuating lever chain and the locking unit.

11. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 3, wherein the retrofitted module housing is adapted to be selectively attached to the base module housing.

12. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 4, wherein the retrofitted module housing and the base module housing are each injection moulded plastic parts.

13. The motor vehicle door lock according to 7, wherein the centering elements are formed on the respective module housing and/or on built-in elements in or on the module housing.

14. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, further comprising a module housing cover removably couplable to the base module to cover the locking mechanism and the retrofitted module.

15. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 14, wherein the module housing cover maintains the retrofitted module in an attached position when the module housing cover is attached to the base module.

16. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 6, wherein one of the centering elements is aligned with an access of rotation of the actuating pin on the security element which interacts with the coupling element on the locking mechanism when the security element is installed on the locking mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows the motor vehicle door lock of the invention with an attached retrofitted module and

(2) FIG. 2 shows an explosive view of the base module upgraded with a retrofitted module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(3) The figures show a motor vehicle door lock which in its basic arrangement is equipped with a locking mechanism 1, 2 consisting essentially of a rotary latch 1 and pawl 2. The locking mechanism 1, 2 interacts in the known manner with a locking boltnot shownon, for instance a B column of a car body. During this process, the locking bolt enters an intake slot or an infeed section 3 or can be removed again. The motor vehicle door lock shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is installed in a respective motor vehicle door.

(4) In addition to the locking mechanism 1, 2 comprising a rotary latch 1 and pawl 2, the motor vehicle door closure also contains an actuating lever chain 4 as well as a locking unit 5, 6. For reasons of clarity, only an internal actuating lever 4 is shown of the actuating lever chain 4, which can for instance be impinged on by means of an internal door handle in the manner shown in FIG. 1.

(5) Where as a result of the impinging of the internal actuating lever 4 as shown in FIG. 1 the locking unit 5, 6 is in its operating position unlocked, the internal actuating lever 4 ensures that the pawl 2 is lifted off the rotary latch 1. The previously retained locking bolt is released. In the embodiment of the invention the impinging of the internal actuating lever 4 causing the opening in the sense of the override function already described, also ensures that the locking unit 5, 6 leaves it previous locked position and is moved into the unlocked position. This implies that the internal actuating lever 4 is mechanically coupled to the locking unit 5, 6.

(6) At this point, a coupling lever 7 or generally a coupling element 7 is provided, which depending on its position couples or uncouples the actuating lever chain or the internal actuating lever 4 with the locking unit 5, 6. In the mechanically coupled operating position of the internal actuating lever or of the actuating lever chain 4 with the locking unit 5, 6 the actuating lever chain 4 is able to move the locking unit from its locked position to its unlocked position and to simultaneously open the locking mechanism 1, 2 as described. In contrast, the mechanically uncoupled operating position of the actuating lever chain 4 from the locking unit 5, 6 causes respective actuations of the internal door handle and thus of the internal actuating lever or of the actuating lever chain 4 not to have any effect in this context.

(7) The coupling element 7 consequently essentially assumes two operating positions with the coupling element 7 interacting for this purpose with a security device 8, 9, 10 described in more detail below. On one hand the security device 8, 9, 10 actually steers the coupling element 7 into the position coupling the actuating lever chain 4 and the locking unit 5, 6. The operating position off of the security device 8, 9, 10 corresponds with this position. In contrast, the position of the coupling element 7, in which the actuating lever chain 4 and the locking unit 5, 6 are mechanically uncoupled, corresponds with the operating position off of the security device 8, 9, 10. The security device 8, 9, 10 is able, to render the actuating lever chain 4 and the locking unit 5, 6 non-functioning/functioning.

(8) Generally, the security device 8, 9, 10 can, however, also be designed in such a way that the actuating lever chain 4 or the locking unit 5, 6 can be selectively set to non-functioning/functioning. In the embodiment the security device 8, 9, 10 does however ensure that the actuating lever chain 4 and the locking unit 5, 6 are either both non-functioning or functioning.

(9) When comparing FIGS. 1 and 2 it is apparent that the security device 8, 9, 10 is optionally designed as a retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 connectable to the base module 1 to 6 and 11. Actually, the base module 1 to 6 and 11 a least contains the aforementioned locking mechanism 1, 2, the actuating lever chain 4 and the locking unit 5, 6. In contrast, the retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 is the security device 8, 9, 10, already described and which in the shown example is designed as an anti-theft device 8, 9, 10 although the invention is not limited to this.

(10) The retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 contains a retrofitted module housing 10. The retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 also contains a security device 8, 9, 10, a security element 9 and a securing motor 8 impinging the security element 9. The security element 9 is a circular disk segment that can be pivoted in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction with the aid of a worm gear attached to a drive shaft of the securing motor 8. It is also apparent that an actuating pin 9a is provided, which is connected to the securing device 9.

(11) The base module 1 to 6 and 11 also has its own housing, the base module housing 11. This base module housing 11 accommodates at least the locking mechanism 1, 2, the actuating lever chain 4 and the locking unit 5, 6. The retrofitted module housing 10 and the base module housing 11 are in this case injection-moulded plastic parts. The retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 can also be attached to the base module 1 to 6 and 11. For this purpose, the retrofitted module housing 10 is designed to be attachable to the base module housing 11.

(12) It is apparent that the retrofitted module housing 10 and the base module housing 11 contain corresponding centering elements 12, 13, 14. In the shown example the centering elements 12, 13, 14 consist of pins 12, a recess 14 and a projection 13. The centering elements 12, 13, 14 are formed on the respective module housing 10, 11 or on the built-in elements on the module housing 10, 11.

(13) It is indeed apparent that in the shown example the retrofitted module housing 10 contains a recess 14. In contrast, the pins 12 are positioned on a mounting structure 15 for the base module housing 11, also containing a socket 16. Finally, a further pin 12 is provided in form of a rotary axis accommodating the coupling element 7. This pin 12 interacts with a respective circular recess 14 on or in the retrofitted module housing 10. The projection 13 is finally located on said mounting structure 15.

(14) As soon as the retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 or the security device 8, 9, 10 is joined to the base module 1 to 6 and 11 i.e. in the assembled state of the retrofitted module 8, 9, 10, the actuating pin 9a interacts with said coupling element 7. For this purpose, the coupling element 7 contains an edge 17 apparent from FIG. 2 for the engaging actuating pin 9a. As a result, the security device or the retrofit element 8, 9, 10 is able to move the coupling element 7 as described in relation to its axis of rotation or the pin 12 into a position coupling the actuating lever chain 4 and the locking unit 5, 6 and into a position uncoupling these two elements 4 and 5, 6. The first operating position corresponds with the security device 8, 9, and 10 being in its off position. The latter operating position corresponds, on the other hand to the security device 8, 9, and 10 being in the on position.

(15) From FIG. 2 it is apparent that security element 9 and the securing motor 8 are covered by the security model housing 10 and are supported by said housing. In contrast, the actuating pin 9a laterally protrudes or laterally exceeds the retrofitted module housing 10. This is necessary for the actuating pin 9a to be able to interact with the coupling element 7 as described when the retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 is fixed to the base module 1 to 6 and 11.

(16) As described, the base module 1 to 6 and 11 can selectively contain a retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 or not. As soon as the base module 1 to 6 and 11 is equipped with the retrofitted module 8, 9, 10, the thus provided motor vehicle door closure contains the described anti-theft function. Without retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 no anti-theft device is provided and this may have to be achieved in a different manner. Typically, tailgates of motor vehicles do not require such an anti-theft function, so that for such motor vehicle closures the retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 is not required.

(17) In all cases, the base module housing 11 is enclosed with the aid of a basic module housing cover 18. The base module housing cover 18 also ensures that the retrofitted module 8, 9, 10 attached to the base module 1 to 6 and 11 is maintained in the attached position.