Motor vehicle lock

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock (1), comprising a lock housing (2), a lock plate, adjusting means (3, 4) which are received in the lock housing (2) and/or on the lock plate such that they can move, particularly swivel in at least in some regions, the adjusting means (3, 4) being positionable in at least two different positions (L1, L2), a spring element (5, 6), said spring element (5, 6) cooperating with the adjusting means (3, 4) in such a way that the spring element (5, 6) holds the adjusting means (3, 4) in the respective position (L1, L2), and the spring element (5, 6) being attached to the adjusting means (3, 4) such that the adjusting means (3, 4) can move together with the spring element (5, 6).

Claims

1. A motor vehicle latch comprising: a latch housing, a latch plate, an actuator pivotably mounted in the latch housing and/or on the latch plate whereby the actuator can be positioned in at least two different positions, and a spring element, the spring element interacting with the actuator in such a way that the spring element maintains the actuator when the actuator is in each of the at least two different positions, and wherein the spring element is attached to the actuator so that the actuator can be moved together with the spring element, wherein the spring element has a free end and a fixed end that is fixed to the actuator, wherein the spring element extends along the actuator from the fixed end to the free end such that the actuator and spring element function as an integral and compact unit, allowing for ease of and simplification during assembly.

2. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the free end interacts with a further component of the motor vehicle latch.

3. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 2, wherein the free end of the spring element has an indentation that is engageable with the further component.

4. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 3, wherein the indentation interacts with a recess and/or elevation of the further component, wherein the indentation and the recess and/or elevation are engageable in a form-fitting manner.

5. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is executed in the form of a leaf spring.

6. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the actuator has a radial extension that extends from a rotational axis of the actuator and the spring element is arranged on the actuator along the extension of the actuator.

7. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is connected in a form-fitting manner with the actuator.

8. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is made of plastic and the spring element has openings which correspond to elevations of the actuator for securing the spring element to the actuator.

9. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 1, wherein the further component is a housing component of the motor vehicle latch.

10. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 9, wherein the housing component has depressions which interact with indentations on the spring element so that the position of the actuator can be determined in the motor vehicle latch.

11. The motor vehicle latch according to claim 8, wherein elevations are cylindrical pins.

12. A motor vehicle latch comprising: a latch housing, a latch plate, an actuator pivotably mounted in the latch housing and/or on the latch plate, whereby the actuator can be positioned in at least two different positions, and a spring element, the spring element interacting with the actuator in such a way that the spring element maintains the actuator when the actuator is in each of the at least two different positions, and wherein the spring element is attached to the actuator so that the actuator can be moved together with the spring element, wherein the spring element has a free end and a fixed end that is fixed to the actuator, wherein the free end interacts with a further component of the motor vehicle latch, and wherein the actuator is made of plastic and the spring element has openings which correspond to elevations of the actuator for securing the spring element to the actuator such that the actuator and spring element function as an integral and compact unit, allowing for ease of and simplification during assembly.

Description

(1) Hereafter, the invention is explained in further detail with reference to the adjacent drawings on the basis of preferred design forms. However, the principle applies that the design example does not restrict the invention but only constitutes an advantageous design form. The characteristics depicted can be executed individually or in combination with other characteristics of the description, as also the patent claims individually or in combination.

(2) The following are shown:

(3) FIG. 1 a three-dimensional view of components, in particular actuators, of an open motor vehicle latch,

(4) FIG. 2 a top view of the opened and only partially illustrated motor vehicle latch according to FIG. 1, and

(5) FIG. 3 an internal view of a housing lid of the motor vehicle latch depicted in FIG. 1 as a section in the area of the moving actuators.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle latch 1 in an opened illustration with a latch housing 2, a first actuator 3, a second actuator 4, a first spring element 5 and a second spring element 6. The first actuator 3 is pivotably accommodated on an axis 7 and has an extension 8 which extends in a radial direction from the axis 7 in a direction away from the rotational axis 7. The second actuator 4 is also mounted on an axis 9 and also has a radial extension 10 which extends away from the axis 9. Both actuators 3, 4 are pivotably mounted in the latch housing 2. For improved clarification of the invention, the illustration of further components in the motor vehicle latch 1 was dispensed with.

(7) The first actuator 3 can be a central locking lever 3, for example, whereby the first actuator 3 can be moved in at least two different positions, such as bolted or unbolted. A first spring element 5 is mounted on the radial extension 8 of the first actuator 3, whereby the first spring element 5 can be mounted on the first actuator 3 by means of cylinder pins 11 molded onto the actuator 3. The cylinder pins serve for mounting and position securing of the first spring element 5 on the first actuator 3.

(8) For the further securing of the first spring element 5 the cylinder pins preferably made of plastic can be heat-embossed, for example. The spring element 5 can be indetachably connected to the actuator 3 by means of heat embossing. The cylinder pins 11 also serve to precisely align the spring element 5 to the actuator 3. The spring element 5 has an indentation 13 at the free end of the spring element 5. The indentation can be inserted, for example, as a circular depression, for example, by means of a reshaping of the spring element 5 into the spring element 5. The form-fitting mounting of the spring element 5 in the actuator 3 is also clearly apparent in FIG. 1.

(9) In contrast to the first actuator 3, the second actuator 4 is equipped with a spring element 6 which is directly attached to the axis 9 of the actuator 4. To this end, the spring element 6 is inserted into an opening 14 so that the spring element 6 is joinable by means of the axis 9 of the actuator 4. In addition, cylindrical pins 15 are formed on the actuator, into which the second spring element 6 can be inserted. The cylindrical pins 15 serve, together with the opening 14, to secure the position of the spring element 6, whereby the cylindrical pins 15 can also be heat-embossed or molded by means of heat embossing so that an indetachable connection can be attained.

(10) The axis 9 can, for example, also be a metallic axis which is connected to a non-illustrated latch case. However, it is also conceivable that the axes 7, 9 for the actuators 3, 4 are formed as a single component with the latch housing 2, for example, are manufactured by means of injection molding. The axes 7, 9 are then connected as a single component with the latch housing 2.

(11) It is apparent that the second actuator 4 is mounted in a pivotable manner in the motor vehicle latch, which is apparent on the gearwheel segment 16 serving to drive the actuator 4. The other components necessary for the drive, such as a wormgear and an electromotor, are not illustrated for the better illustration of the inventive idea.

(12) The areas of the spring elements 5, 6 equipped with the openings 12, 14 are firmly connected to the actuators 3, 4. The free ends 17, 18 of the spring elements 5, 6 point away from the actuator 3, 4 and are able to interact with a further, non-illustrated, component of the motor vehicle latch 1. The indentations 13, 19 of the spring elements 5, 6 can interact in a form-fitting manner into, for example, a depression of a further component, such as a latch lid.

(13) FIG. 2 shows a top view of the motor vehicle latch 1 according to FIG. 1 in a top view. The first actuator 3, the second actuator 4, the first spring element 5 and the second spring element 6 are shown. The actuators 3, 4 are mounted around the axes 7, 9 in a pivotable manner in the latch housing 2.

(14) For example, an arrow P is inserted into FIG. 2 to illustrate an anti-clockwise direction movement of the actuator 3 around the axis 7. If the actuator 3 and in particular the indentation 13 of the actuator 3 are located in position LI, the actuator 3 thus moves in the direction of the arrow P into a position L2.

(15) In FIG. 3, a latch lid 20 is illustrated which interacts with the spring element 5. To this end, depressions 21, 22 are molded into the latch lid 20 which interact with the indentation 13. Starting from position LI the indentation 13 interacts with the depression 22 and after an adjustment of the actuator 2 in the direction of the arrow P the indentation 13 engages in the end position with the depression 21. The spring element 5 thus not only interacts with the latch lid 20 in a force-fitting manner, but is also held in an interlocking manner in the latch lid 20 so that the position is stabilized and securing is improved. The axis mounting 23 for the axis 7 of the actuator 3 is also recognized. The axis mounting 24 is also illustrated. In the movement of the actuator 3 in the direction of the arrow B the spring element 5 moves from the position LI via the latch lid 20 into position L2. The actuator 4 also executes a comparable movement, whereby the second spring element 6 and in particular the indentation 19 also interacts with the latch lid 20. The indentation 19 then engages with the depressions 25, 26, for example.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(16) 1 Motor vehicle latch 2 Latch housing 3 first actuator 4 second actuator 5 first spring element 6 second spring element 7 axis 8 extension 9 axis 10 extension 11 cylindrical pins 12 opening 13 indentation 14 opening 15 cylindrical pins 16 gearwheel segment 17, 18 free end 19 indentation 20 latch lid 21, 22 depressions 23, 24 axis mounting 25, 26 depressions P arrow Ll position 1 L2 position 2