MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK

Abstract

A motor vehicle door lock, particularly a motor vehicle bonnet lock, provided with a locking mechanism which substantially consists of a rotary latch and a pawl. The locking mechanism interacts with a striker element on a bonnet. The lock according to the invention further has an unlocking/opening mechanism for the bonnet, which mechanism is equipped with a release element provided in the interior of a motor vehicle body. It is required to operate the release element preferably twice to open the bonnet. According to the invention, the locking mechanism is transferred to a pre-latched position after the release element has been operated at least once, with the striker element still being trapped. The bonnet is opened from said pre-latched position by a movement in its longitudinal direction.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle door lock, in particular motor vehicle front bonnet latch, with a locking mechanism consisting essentially of a rotary latch and pawl, which interacts with a latch holder bracket on a bonnet, and with an unlocking/opening mechanism for the bonnet, which is equipped with a release element provided inside a motor vehicle body with preferably the release element for opening the bonnet to be actuated twice, wherein the locking mechanism after at least one time actuation of the release element assumes a pre-ratchet position with a still trapped latch holder bracket, while the bonnet from the pre-ratchet position is opened by a movement in its longitudinal direction.

2. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the bonnet for opening from the pre-ratchet position is acted on by pressing or pulling in the longitudinal direction by an operator.

3. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the bonnet in its longitudinal direction corresponds to a movement in the longitudinal or X direction of the vehicle.

4. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the bonnet is rotatably articulated to a motor vehicle body by means of at least one hinge, the hinge permitting movement of the bonnet in the longitudinal direction against spring force.

5. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 4, wherein the hinge is connected to the motor vehicle body via at least two articulated levers.

6. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the two articulated levers is equipped with a pivot point which can be adjusted against the force of a spring and which can optionally be fixed and released.

7. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 6, wherein the pivot point is designed to be essentially adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the bonnet.

8. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the release element acts on the pawl during its first actuation, so that the pawl assumes the pre-ratchet position and, during its second actuation, releases the pivot point which can be adjusted against the force of the spring.

9. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the release element acts on the pawl or pawls during its first and second actuation so that the respective pawl assumes the pre-ratchet position.

10. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the bonnet in its longitudinal direction for opening from the pre-ratchet position corresponds to the fact that the pawl is lifted from a pre-ratchet position on the rotary latch, for example by means of a contour on the bonnet.

Description

[0019] In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing only one exemplary embodiment; the following applies:

[0020] FIGS. 1 to 3 shows a motor vehicle in the front area with a bonnet and the invented motor vehicle front bonnet latch in various functional positions.

[0021] FIG. 4 shows the vehicle door lock in detail when closed.

[0022] FIG. 5 shows the object according to FIG. 4 in pre-ratchet position.

[0023] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a motor vehicle 1 of which only a front area or front area with a bonnet 2 can be seen. The front bonnet 2 is secured against a motor vehicle body with the aid of a motor vehicle door lock, which in the exemplary embodiment is a motor vehicle front bonnet latch 3 and is not restrictive. The interior and details of this motor vehicle door lock and the motor vehicle front bonnet latch 3 in the example case are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in different functional positions. These illustrations show that the motor vehicle door lock in question is essentially equipped with a locking mechanism 4, 5 consisting of a rotary latch 4 and a pawl 5.

[0024] The locking mechanism 4, 5 interacts with a latch holder bracket 6 or a locking bolt, which is arranged on the bonnet or front bonnet 2. The rotary latch 4 is pivotably located around an axis 7 in the latch case 8. The same applies to the pawl 5, which is also mounted in the latch plate 8 under definition of an axis or rotary axis 9. The two axes 7, 9 of the rotary latch 4 on the one hand and the pawl 5 on the other hand are defined with the aid of associated bolts or shoulder studs which are each connected to the latch plate 8.

[0025] The further basic structure also includes an unlocking/opening mechanism 10,11 for the bonnet 2, which can be seen for the most part in FIG. 1. The unlocking/opening mechanism 10, 11 for bonnet 2 is equipped with a release element 10 provided inside the vehicle body. It is also possible for several release elements to be installed. The release element 10 may work mechanically or electrically. The exemplary embodiment shows a mechanical variant.

[0026] In this case, the release element 10 is mechanically coupled to the motor vehicle door lock or the motor vehicle front bonnet lock 3 via a connecting means 11, in this case a cable or a Bowden cable. In fact, the connecting means 11 or the Bowden cable provided at this point works on the pawl 5 as indicated in FIG. 4. An actuation of release element 10 corresponds, according to the exemplary embodiment, to the fact that the connecting means 11 or the Bowden cable is acted on with a pulling force and consequently pawl 5 connected to the end of connecting means 11 also experiences a pulling force acted on it. This causes the pawl 5 in the exemplary embodiment to swivel counterclockwise about its axis 9, as indicated in FIG. 4.

[0027] Starting from the closed position of the pawl 4, 5 within the scope of FIG. 4, this results in the pawl 5 being lifted from a main-ratchet 12 of the rotary latch. The rotary latch 4 is designed as a fork latch with a first arm 4a and a second arm 4b. The two arms 4a, 4b are separated from each other and define a slot 4c between them, in which the latch holder bracket 6 is caught. Arm 4a is a main-ratchet arm 4a, while arm 4b is designed as a pre-ratchet arm 4b with a pre-ratchet 13.

[0028] As soon as the pawl 5 in the closed position is lifted off the rotary latch 4 according to FIG. 4, a spring not explicitly shown ensures that the rotary latch 4 is swiveled clockwise about its axis 7. Since the release element 10 is actuated only once and then returns to its initial position immediately aided by the spring, the pawl 5 can drop into the pre-ratchet position 13 after the swivel movement of the release element 10 and release of the main-ratchet 12. Now the pre-ratchet position according to FIG. 5 is reached.

[0029] To open the bonnet 2 from the pre-ratchet position according to FIG. 5, the bonnet 2 in the exemplary embodiment is acted upon by pressing or pulling in the longitudinal direction by an operator or vehicle driver, as indicated by a double arrow in FIG. 1. This means that after the initial action on by the release element 10, the locking mechanism 5 is unchanged in its pre-ratchet position. The latch holder bracket 6 is still caught by the rotary latch 4, because in this case pawl 5 has dropped into the pre-ratchet position 13 and consequently secures not only the latch holder bracket 6 but also the connected bonnet 2. To now open bonnet 2, bonnet 2 is removed from the pre-ratchet position in its longitudinal direction according to FIG. 5. The longitudinal direction is additionally shown in FIG. 3 by an arrow in the X-direction. The longitudinal direction of the vehicle corresponds to this. In contrast, the Y-direction denotes the transverse direction of the vehicle. Also drawn is a Z-direction or high axis direction.

[0030] To enable bonnet 2 to carry out the described movement in the longitudinal X direction of the vehicle, it is hinged to the vehicle body in a rotatable manner by means of at least one hinge 14, 15, 16. The hinge 14,15,16 allows for a longitudinal movement of the bonnet 2 against the force of a spring 16 as a component of the hinge 14,15,16. In fact, hinge 14, 15, 16 is a spring-loaded hinge 14, 15, 16. The detail shows two articulated levers 14, 15 and the already mentioned spring 16.

[0031] The two articulated levers 14, 15 are each connected at the ends to the bonnet 2 on the one hand and to a connecting plate 17 on the other and thus consequently to the vehicle body. At least one pivot point 18 of one articulated lever 14 is designed to be adjustable. The adjustment of the pivot point 18 corresponds to the compression of the spring 16 already mentioned. As a result, one articulated lever 14 of the two articulated levers 14, 15 can be adjusted against the force of the corresponding spring 16. In addition, the pivot point 18 in question may be fixed and released. This is shown entirely in FIG. 3, whereby a swiveling pawl 19 may provide for the fixing and releasing of the pivot point 18, which in turn is connected to the connecting means 11, acted upon with the aid of release element 10, or another connecting means to release element 10. Consequently, the release element 10 can be used to actuate the pawl 19, so that the pivot point 18 can then be moved, acted on by the spring 16.

[0032] The pivot point 18 can essentially be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the bonnet 2. Thus an operator-initiated acting on bonnet 2 in the longitudinal direction or X-direction ensures that the pivot point 18 moves as indicated in FIG. 3. At the same time, the other second articulated lever 15 is swiveled. As a result, bonnet 2 can move in its longitudinal direction to be opened in its entirety.

[0033] When bonnet 2 is moved in its longitudinal direction or in the X-direction, a contour 20 on bonnet 2 engages with pawl 5. In the example described, two motor vehicle door locks or motor vehicle front bonnet locks 3 are each placed on the left and right of the bonnet or front bonnet 2 in contrast to the illustration according to FIG. 1, where only a centrally arranged motor vehicle front bonnet latch 3 is shown. In any case, contour 20 on the inside of bonnet 2 ensures that contour 20 moves in the X-direction against pawl 5 of latch 4, 5 during the described longitudinal movement of bonnet 2. As the pawl 4, 5 is in the pre-ratchet position according to FIG. 5, the movement of the bonnet 2 leads directly to the pawl 4, 5 being opened.

[0034] This is because the pawl 5 is lifted from the pre-ratchet position 13 at the rotary latch 4.

[0035] Now the latch holder bracket 6 is completely free of the locking mechanism 4, 5 and bonnet 2 can be opened as shown in FIG. 2. The overall process is such that release element 10 on the inside 12 of the motor vehicle body, on its first actuation, acts on pawl 5 of the first motor vehicle front bonnet latch 3 and, on its second actuation, acts on pawl 5 of the second front bonnet latch 3. As a result, after the release element has been actuated twice, both motor vehicle bonnet locks 3 are in their pre-ratchet position. As soon as the front bonnet 2 is moved in the longitudinal direction or X-direction, the pawl 5 is lifted off the rotary latch 4 by means of the front bonnet 2 and the bonnet 2 can therefore be opened.

[0036] It is also possible, however, that in the case of a central motor vehicle front bonnet latch 3, for example, the locking mechanism 4, 5 is transferred to the pre-ratchet position according to FIG. 5 by the first actuation of release element 10. The second actuation of release element 10 may then ensure that the pivot point 18 is released from pawl 19. On the other hand, in the variant described first, the pivot point 18 is generally freely adjustable in the longitudinal direction of bonnet 2 and the pawl 19 is not provided at all. In any case, the second actuation of release element 10 in this variant ensures that pivot point 18 is released. This means that the operator can then act on bonnet 2 in its longitudinal direction or in the X direction so that contour 20 on bonnet 2 lifts pawl 5 from rotary latch 4. In both cases, pawl 5 is removed from the pre-ratchet position 13, so that the latch holder bracket 6 is completely released. The bonnet 2 can be opened.