Motor vehicle door lock

Abstract

The subject matter of the present invention is a motor vehicle door lock, the basic construction of which is equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2) consisting essentially of a rotary latch (1) and a detent pawl (2), furthermore with a release element (3) for the locking mechanism (1, 2) and with a storage element (4). The storage element (4) ensures an unobstructed opening movement of the rotary latch (1) from a closed position into an open position. According to the invention, for this purpose, the storage element (4) holds the release element (3) during the opening movement of the rotary latch (1) in an ineffective position with respect to the locking mechanism (1, 2).

Claims

1. A motor vehicle door lock having a locking mechanism comprising: a rotary latch rotatable between a closed position and an open position, a pawl rotatable about an axis of rotation and rotatable between a locked position where the pawl retains the rotary latch in the closed position and an unlocked position where the pawl does not block movement of the rotary latch from the closed position to the open position, a blocking lever movable between a blocking position where the blocking lever retains the pawl in the locked position and an unblocking position where the blocking lever does not block movement of the pawl from the locked position to the unlocked position, a triggering lever movable to a releasing position where the triggering lever moves the blocking lever to the unblocking position, a storage stage on the rotary latch, and a storage element on the triggering lever, wherein the storage element engages the storage stage to retain the triggering lever in the releasing position when the release lever is moved to the releasing position.

2. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 1, wherein the triggering lever rotates about the axis of rotation of the pawl.

3. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 1, wherein the storage stage is an arch-shaped protrusion with a radius adapted to the distance of the axis of rotation of the rotary latch.

4. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 3, wherein the arch-shaped protrusion extends over an angle of less than 120.

5. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 3, wherein the arch-shaped protrusion extends over an angle of less than 90.

6. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 3, wherein the arch-shaped protrusion comprises a first sloped surface and a first vertical surface.

7. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 6, wherein the storage element includes a tappet having a second sloped surface and a second vertical surface, wherein the first and second vertical surfaces abut when the release element is moved to the releasing position.

8. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 7, wherein the storage stage defines a release position where the tappet does not interact with the storage element.

9. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 1, wherein the storage stage is configured such that the storage element disengages the storage stage when the rotary latch is in the open position.

10. The motor vehicle door lock of claim 1, wherein the storage element is fixed and is non-rotatable relative to the triggering lever.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1 to 4 show the motor vehicle door lock of the invention reduced to the locking mechanism and elements interacting therewith in different operating positions and

(2) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a detail of the storage element with the respective tappet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(3) The figures show a motor vehicle door lock, the basic construction of which is equipped with a locking mechanism 1, 2 consisting essentially of a rotary latch 1 and pawl 2. Furthermore, a release element 3 is provided for the locking mechanism 1, 2. In addition, the basic construction includes a storage element 4, ensuring an unobstructed opening movement of the rotary latch 1 from a closed into an open position. The effect of the storage element 4 is particularly apparent, when the closed position of the rotary latch 1 shown in FIG. 1 is compared with the open position shown in FIG. 3 or the fully opened position as shown in FIG. 4.

(4) The invention achieves said unobstructed opening movement of the rotary latch 1 from its closed into its open position by the storage element 4 holding the release element 3 during the opening movement of the rotary latch 1 in its ineffective position with respect to the locking mechanism 1, 2. The pawl 2 is also ineffective in this case. In the embodiment this is ensured by a springnot explicitly shownpretensioning the pawl 2 in relation to its axis of rotation 5 in counter-clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 1 and indicated by a respective arrow in this figure. This means that the pawl 2 is pretensioned in the direction of a disengaging position with the rotary latch 1.

(5) In the closed position of the locking mechanism 1, 2 or of the main locking position of the rotary latch 1 shown in FIG. 1, the blocking lever 6 assigned to the pawl 2 ensures that an edge 7 of the pawl 2 rests against a main locking stage 8 of the rotary latch 1 and that the edge 7 is not pivoted away from the main locking stage 8 or main latching edge in the indicated counter-clockwise direction. Such a pivoting movement is prevented by said blocking lever 6, also assigned to the release element 3.

(6) The release element 3 is a triggering lever 3, designed as a single-arm lever and mounted on the same axis as the pawl 2 and pivotable around the common axis or axis of rotation 5. In contrast, the blocking lever 6 assigned to the release element or triggering lever 3 has its own axis or axis of rotation 9, around which the blocking lever 6 is pivotably mounted. In the example embodiment the blocking lever 6 can, for instance also contain a spring, pretensioning the blocking lever 6 in counter-clockwise direction in respect to its axis of rotation 9, as shown by another arrow in FIG. 1.

(7) According to the invention, the storage element 4 is connected to the release element or the triggering lever 3. The storage element 4 is actually an extension arm connected at an angle to the lengthwise extending triggering lever 3. In the example embodiment, the release element 4 or the respective extension arm is connected at right angles or at nearly right angles to the lengthwise extending triggering lever 3. In any case, the release element or the triggering lever 3 and also the storage element 4 or the corresponding extension arm actually define a single unit 3, 4, that can be made wholly or partially of plastic.

(8) A storage stage 10 is assigned to the storage element 4. In the example embodiment, the storage stage 10 is provided on the rotary latch 1 and is in this case designed as an arcuate web. The web can be formed in a plastic casing of the metal rotary latch 1. The storage stage 10 actually has a radius R, adapted to the distance of the storage stage 10 from the axis of rotation 11 of the rotary latch 1.

(9) The storage element 4 contains a tappet 12 interacting with the storage stage 10, as shown in the detailed perspective view of FIG. 5. The tappet 12 and the storage stage 10 contain corresponding sloping surfaces 13, 14, adapted to each other. The tappet 12 can, altogether assume two different base positions in relation to the storage stage 10.

(10) In the operating position shown in FIG. 1 the tappet 12 is, for instance, in the detent position engaging the storage stage 10. In contrast, the operating positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 correspond to the tappet 12 gliding along the storage stage 10. This includes the release position of the tappet 12 and thus the release position of the storage element 4 or of the release element 3, steered by the storage element 4. In the release position, the release element 3 is released from the locking mechanism 1, 2, i.e. is located in an ineffective position.Such a release position is also shown in FIG. 4, in which there is no interaction between the nose 12 on one hand and the storage stage 10 on the other hand. The release element 3 is, in any case, unable to mechanically impinge on either the pawl 2 or the rotary latch 1 in any way in its release position.

(11) During the transition from the main locking position shown in FIG. 1 with the tappet 12 being in the detent position with respect to the storage stage 10, into the release position of the tappet 12 with respect to the storage stage 10, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tappet 12 is being impinged on by the release element 3 in such a way that the two sloping surfaces 13, 14 glide past each other, until the tappet 12 overlaps the storage stage 10. As a result, the tappet 12 can glide along the storage stage 10 on the outside or edge side of the storage stage 10, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this release position, interactions between the release element 3 and the locking mechanism 1, 2 are not possible, as the release element 3 is, so to speak, lifted off the locking mechanism 1, 2. As, in this case, the pawl 2 can also not interact with the rotary latch 1 or is pivoted by means of the spring away from the rotary latch 1 around its axis or axis of rotation 5, the rotary latch 1 is able to carry out an unobstructed opening movement. This is due to the fact that the storage element 4 holds the release element 3 in the ineffective position with respect to the locking mechanism 1, 2 during this opening movement of the rotary latch 1.

(12) The opening movement of the rotary latch 1 follows the main locking position as shown in FIG. 1 and is primarily shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As soon as the rotary latch 1 has reached the operating position shown in FIG. 4, the tappet 12 leaves the storage stage 10. The release element 3 is then able to pivot around its axis or axis of rotation 5 in clockwise direction (with the aid of the spring), as apparent in the transition from FIG. 3 to FIG. 4.

(13) As a result, the rotary latch 1 is in a kind of readiness state for a subsequent closing operation. When starting from the open or fully open position shown in FIG. 4, the rotary latch 1 is impinged on in closing direction in such a way that it pivots around its shown axis or axis of rotation 11 in clockwise direction and starting from the operating position shown in FIG. 4, the tappet 12 on the storage element 4 is able to engage the storage stage 10. At the end of this closing movement starting in FIG. 4, the rotary latch 1 assumes the position shown in FIG. 1 or the main locking position.

(14) Before this operation, an optional ratchet lever 2 on the pawl 2 can interact with a protrusionnot shownon the rotary latch 1. This means that before, starting from the fully opened position in FIG. 4, the rotary latch 1 reaches the fully closed position or main locking position shown in FIG. 1, said ratchet lever 2 interacts with the protrusion on the rotary latch 1. This corresponds with an initial locking position of the locking mechanism 1, 2, which generally is, however, not required and is only mentioned for the sake of completeness.

(15) As soon as the rotary latch 1 has reached the position shown in FIG. 1 during its closing movement, i.e. a clockwise rotation around its axis of rotation 11, the pawl 2 or its edge 7, previously gliding along the rotary latch 1, can interact with the main locking stage 8 on the rotary latch 1. In this case the blocking lever 6 actually ensures that the pawl 2, pretensioned in counter-clockwise direction, engages in said main locking stage 8. For this purpose, the blocking lever 6 isas described abovealso pretensioned in counter-clockwise direction around its axis 9 by means of a spring.

(16) As soon as the rotary latch 1 has reached the position shown in FIG. 1, the pawl 2 is, so to speak, pushed into the main locking position of the rotary latch 1 with the aid of the blocking lever 6 or the edge 7 on the pawl 2 is pivoted towards the main locking stage 8 on the rotary latch 1 with the aid of the blocking lever 6. In the corresponding operating position shown in FIG. 1, the locking mechanism 1, 2 is thus in the main locking position.

(17) In order to leave this position, the release element 3 must first of all be pivoted in counter-clockwise direction around its own axis of rotation 5, as apparent from the transition between FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. During this process, not only the storage element 4 or its tappet 12 leaves the storage stage 10 and its engaging detent position with respect to this storage stage 10. Instead, also an edge 15 on the release element 3 ensures that a pin 16 of the blocking lever 6, abutting the edge 15, is impinged on in the main locking position shown in FIG. 1.

(18) The edge 15 on the release element 3 actually impinges on the pin 16 of the blocking lever 6 in such a way that the blocking lever 6 is moved in clockwise direction around its axis 9 during the transition from FIG. 1 to FIG. 2, and against the force of the spring assigned to the blocking lever 6. As a result, the blocking lever 6 and its extension arm 17 leaves a tappet 18 on the pawl 2, against which the extension arm 17 was first abutting in the main locking position as shown in FIG. 1. As a result, the extension arm 17 moves into a recess 19 on the pawl 2. At the same time, the pawl is moved by the force of the spring around its axis of rotation 5 in counter-clockwise direction and thus away from the rotary latch 1. The operating position shown in FIG. 2 has been reached.

(19) The extension arm 17 on the blocking lever 6 only leaves the recess 19 on the pawl 2 again when, starting from the operating position shown in FIG. 4, the rotary latch 1 is moved to the main locking position of FIG. 1. The blocking lever 6 is then able to push the edge 7 of the pawl 2 into the main locking stage 8. During this process, the extension arm 17 of the blocking lever 6 slides along the recess 19 until the extension arm 17 rises up from the tappet 18 of the pawl 2, blocking the pawl 2 in the then reached main locking position, shown in FIG. 1. In this position, the pawl 2 can consequently not pivot around its axis of rotation 5 in counter-clockwise direction.

(20) The shown motor vehicle door lock can be designed as a motor vehicle door lock for a motor vehicle side door. Generally the motor vehicle door lock is, however, a lock for a tailgate or a tailgate lock. The additional ratchet lever 2 is thus not required on the pawl 2. This means that in this case no two-pawl locking mechanism is provided but the locking mechanism 1, 2 is only able to assume the main locking position shown in FIG. 1 and obviously the open position, as shown in FIG. 4 as end positions.

(21) As already explained above, the release element 3 and the storage element 4 can be produced as part of the same production process, with the used unit 3, 4 being essentially made of plastic. In contrast, the additional ratchet lever 2 is in most cases made of metal. The ratchet lever 2 is generally connected to the release element 3 in a rotationally fixed manner.