Method for producing motor vehicle door locks with pawl placed in an oblique manner

Abstract

In order to minimize the sliding friction between the locking parts, that is, between the pawl and the rotary latch of a motor vehicle door lock, it is advantageous if, during the production process, the different latch surfaces of both locking parts are provided with a stamped contour have straight grooves and also with a stamped contour, characterized in that the provided grooves are oblique. The grooves which are oblique to the latch surface on the pawl can be produced such that the entire pawl or also the rotary latch are connected in an oblique manner to the base of the lock case housing which can be produced in several ways. Between the straight grooves and the oblique grooves, at least two coverings are provided which ensure that both locking parts are in mutual contact reducing the friction.

Claims

1. Method for producing motor vehicle door locks with the locking mechanism parts catch and pawl, the method comprising: stamping the catch and pawl resulting in straight contours and vertical or near vertical edges with corresponding latch surfaces on the catch and pawl, attaching the catch with its straight stamped contour to a first seat on a base of a lock case housing and arranging the latching surfaces of the catch perpendicular to the base, attaching the pawl to a second seat on the base such that the pawl is arranged in a specified angle with respect to a plane of the base surrounding the second seat so that the latching surface of the pawl is not parallel to or is oblique to the latching surface of the catch in order to prevent meshing of the stamped contours of both lock mechanism parts and wherein, after attaching the pawl to the second seat, the pawl is obliquely angled relative to the plane by the specified angle.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the pawl is offset by an angle of 5-8 relative to the plane and is pivotably fixed to the base in which this angle applies for a pawl of approx. 4 mm thickness and a distance of the grooves of 0.15-0.30 mm constituting the stamped contour of the catch and pawl.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the base contains a seat for the pawl arranged in an oblique manner on the plane.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein, using a conventional connection of the pawl, the seat is connected to the base by means of a seat containing an oblique support surface.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the pawl is obliquely retained by a plastic coating, lying flat on the base and is connected to the housing.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the coating is a rectangular plastic body, in which the pawl is retained whilst being offset by an angle required for obtaining an oblique stamped contour on the pawl latch surface in relation to the straight stamped contour of the catch latch surface.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the pawl is obliquely retained by a plastic coating, lying flat on the base and is connected to the housing.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the coating is a rectangular plastic body, in which the pawl is retained whilst being offset by an angle required for obtaining an oblique stamped contour on the pawl latch surface in relation to the straight stamped contour of the catch latch surface.

9. Method according to claim 1, further comprising, after stamping of the catch and pawl, covering the catch and pawl with a coating except for the latch surfaces.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the base surrounding the first seat is on the plane.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the latch surfaces of the catch and pawl rub against each other only at points in which the straight grooves on the catch and the straight grooves on the pawl are obliquely aligned relative to each other.

12. Motor vehicle door lock containing a catch and a pawl retaining the catch in a closed state, wherein the catch and pawl contain corresponding latch surfaces on their vertical edges that include straight contours, produced during stamping, wherein the catch is arranged on a first seat on a base of a lock case housing and the latching surface of the catch is perpendicular to the base; wherein the pawl is connected to a second seat on the base and the pawl is arranged in a specified angle with respect to a plane of the base surrounding the second seat such that the latch surface of the pawl is not parallel to or is oblique to the latch surface of the catch in order to prevent meshing of stamped contours of both locking mechanism parts, wherein the pawl is obliquely angled relative to the plane by the specified angle.

13. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 12, wherein the pawl is angled relative to the plane by 5-8 and is arranged on the base.

14. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 13, wherein the pawl is fixed in a box-shaped coating, forming a flat base and being offset by the specified angle.

15. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 12, wherein by means of a seat, providing a connection to the base, the pawl is formed obliquely on the base or that the arrangement contains an oblique support surface for the pawl and a usual connection.

16. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 15, wherein the pawl is fixed in a box-shaped coating, forming a flat base and being offset by the specified angle.

17. Motor vehicle door according to claim 12, wherein the pawl is fixed in a box-shaped coating, forming a flat base and being offset by the specified angle.

18. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 12, wherein the catch and pawl further comprise a coating except on the latch surfaces.

19. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 12, wherein the base surrounding the first seat is on the plane.

20. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 12, wherein the latch surfaces of the catch and pawl rub against each other only at points in which the straight grooves on the catch and the straight grooves on the pawl are obliquely aligned relative to each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a top view of a motor vehicle door latch in its closed state,

(2) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the connection between the catch and the base of the lock case housing,

(3) FIG. 3 shows another option of connecting the obliquely arranged pawl to the base,

(4) FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the facing latch surfaces of the catch and pawl and

(5) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the catch with the special edge formation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) FIG. 1 shows a top view of a motor vehicle door latch 1, in which the catch 2 moving around axis 3 contains the hanger arm 9 of the lock bracket 7.

(7) The figure thus shows the closed state of a motor vehicle door latch 1, in which the catch 2 is retained by pawl 5 pivotable along pawl axis 6, i.e. the motor vehicle door latch 1 can only be opened again once the pawl 5 has been pivoted away which is achieved by means of the motor vehicle door handle, not shown in the figure. By means of the seat 4, the hanger arm 9 is moved into the lowest point 27 of the catch 2, thus securing the closed state, also of the motor vehicle doornot shownwith the locking mechanism parts 30, 31, i.e. the pawl 5 and the catch 2 being parts of the motor vehicle door, whilst the lock bracket 7 and the hanger arm 9 are fixed to the car body of the motor vehicle. The locking mechanism parts 30, 31 of the locking mechanism 8 are produced from respective sheet metal using a, preferable, multiple stamping operation, in which on the latch surfaces 12, 13 not covered by coating 10, the surface of both locking mechanism parts 30, 31 is characterized by a stamped contour 14. In the area of the latch surface 13, this surface arrangement has, however, been changed by the offset or slightly turned arrangement of the component, in particular the pawl 5, whose grooves 18, 19, forming the stamped contour 11, are arranged in an oblique manner, which in FIG. 3 are respectively shown as obliquely arranged grooves 18, 19. This stamping contour 11, 13 produces a considerably improved sliding friction between the locking mechanism parts 30, 31, i.e. the pawl 5 and the catch 2, so that unwanted noises are no longer generated. Not particularly apparent from the figure is the fact that the edges 15, 16 of the catch 2 and the pawl 5 are covered by a plastic coating 10. The edges 15, 16 are thus covered by such a coating with the exception of the area of the latch surfaces 12, 13 and of the contact surface 20 where no coating 10 is applied, allowing the special surface structure shown in the below figures, to become effective. The surface structure reduces noise and sliding friction to a minimum, with both being related.

(8) FIG. 2 shows the area of the latch surface 12 on the catch 2 that must correspond with the latch surface 13 on the pawl 5 during opening and closing of the motor vehicle door latch 1. This means that during opening and closing of the motor vehicle door latch, both locking mechanism parts 30, 31 rub against each other or, as regards their edges 15, 16, even on top of each other in the area of their latch surfaces 12, 13, which as shown in particular in FIG. 2, can cause problems in case of a catch 2 having straight grooves 17, when the latch surface 13 on the pawl 5 has the same design, i.e. also contains grooves that remain straight. This is, however, not the case, as the entire pawl 5 is connected to the base 39 of a lock case housing 40 offset by an angle. In order to achieve this, the base 39 contains a seat 42, slightly protruding over the base 39 or that is achieved by a respective deformation. The support surface 43 arranged parallel to the base 39 supports a box 46 representing the coating 10 in this case, in which the entire pawl 5 is respectively sloped or obliquely arranged. As a result, the grooves 18, 19 on the pawl 5 are arranged obliquely in the area of the latch surfaces 12, 13 as shown with reference numerals 18, 19. The aforementioned adverse noises and excessive friction can thus no longer occur. The seat 42 contains a hole, allowing the usual connection 44 between base 39 and pawl 5 to be provided.

(9) In place of the box 46 in which the pawl 5 is arranged in an oblique manner, FIG. 3 shows an oblique arrangement of the support surface 43 of the seat 42 so that the pawl 5 is in an oblique position, when the connection 44 is produced. The figure also shows that the latch surfaces 12, 13 with the straight stamping contour 14 and the oblique or obliquely arranged stamping contour 11 reliably prevents an engagement of the grooves 17, 18, 19. Both FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show that this other locking mechanism part 31, i.e. the catch surface 41 of the catch 2 is arranged parallel to the surface of the base 39. Although not shown in the drawings, it is possible for both the pawl 5 and the catch 2 to be arranged at an angle in order to reliably prevent engagement of the straight grooves 17 and oblique grooves 18, 19, with the angles being offset to one another.

(10) To clarify this situation, FIG. 4 shows again how the latch surfaces 12, 13 of the catch 2 and pawl 5 rest on each other during operation of the motor vehicle door latch 1. For reasons of clarification, a respective larger angle than is actually required is shown. Numeral 25 refers to the overlapping points 25, 25 with area 37 of the catch 2, facing the pawl 5, being shown as a dashed line, in order to point out that the stamping contour is not straight.

(11) FIG. 1 indicates the longitudinal axis 38 of the pawl 5 and also reference numeral 26. This pawl 5 is respectively pivoted around said longitudinal axis and connected to the base 39 of the lock case housing 40.

(12) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the catch 2, pivotable around axis 3, not shown in the figure. When pivoting the catch 2, the hanger arm 9not shown in FIG. 5is inserted in the seat 4 and subsequently released again, so that the motor vehicle door can then be opened or closes evenly. In the locked position, the catch 2 is retained by the pawl 5. FIG. 5 shows that the stamping of the catch 2 produces a clearly visible edge 15, whose surface, as explained above, is characterized by the stamped contour 14 on the latch surface 12. This stamped contour 14 is only indicated in FIG. 5. The latch surface 12 indicates the main ratchet position 22, i.e. the position in which the pawl 5 prevents the catch 2 from pivoting back when in the closed position. As already mentioned above, the latch surface 13 of the pawl then rests on the latch surface 12 of the catch 2 and both can slide past each other with less friction and without any unwanted noise being generated, as the straight grooves 17 of the catch 2 and the oblique grooves 18, 19 of the pawl 5 cannot engage or interlock.

(13) At the lowest point 27 of the seat 4 it is apparent that it contains a surface differing from the surface of the edge 15, which is in particular achieved by the fact that it does not contain any coating 10. The figure shows that a separate part has also been inserted at this point in order to improve the sliding effect of the catch 2 on the hanger arm 9.

(14) All aforementioned characteristics, including those only shown in the drawings, are separately or in combination essential parts of the invention.