Motor vehicle lock with crash element

Abstract

A motor-vehicle lock has a latch mechanism, catch, has and an actuating lever, of which the actuation from a starting position into an actuating position makes it possible to disengage the catch, wherein the motor-vehicle lock has a crash element, which can be adjusted from a normal state into a crash state, in which the crash element blocks the actuating lever in a blocking position or uncouples it from the catch, wherein the crash element is coupled to the actuating lever such that, when the actuating lever is actuated at an actuating speed above a limit actuating speed, the crash element latches in the crash state. With the crash element latched in the crash state, a restoring action of the actuating lever into the starting position causes the latching action to be reversed and the crash element to be adjusted into the normal state.

Claims

1. A motor-vehicle lock comprising a latch mechanism and catch, as locking elements, wherein the motor-vehicle lock has an actuating lever, which can be pivoted about an actuating-lever axis and of which the actuation from a starting position into an actuating position makes it possible to disengage the catch, wherein the motor-vehicle lock has a crash element, which can be adjusted from a normal state into a crash state, in which the crash element blocks the actuating lever in a blocking position or uncouples it from the catch, wherein the crash element is coupled to the actuating lever such that, when the actuating lever is actuated at an actuating speed above a limit actuating speed, the crash element latches in the crash state, wherein with the crash element latched in the crash state, a restoring action of the actuating lever into the starting position causes the latching action to be reversed and the crash element to be adjusted into the normal state; the motor-vehicle lock further comprising a switchable coupling between the actuating lever and the crash element, wherein in dependence on the state of the crash element, the switchable coupling is switched into a coupled state or into an uncoupled state, and wherein the switchable coupling comprises two coupling elements, which are provided by the actuating lever, on the one hand, and by the crash element, on the other hand, and, in dependence on the coupling state, engage with one another, wherein in the coupled state the coupling elements are directly engaged with each other, and wherein in the uncoupled state the coupling elements are disengaged from each other so that the switchable coupling does not establish any interaction between the actuating lever and the crash element.

2. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein, with the crash element latched in the crash state, it is only the actuating lever being restored by at least 80% into the starting position, as seen in relation to the movement region between the starting position and actuating position, which causes the latching action to be reversed and the crash element to be adjusted into the normal state.

3. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein actuation of the actuating lever at an actuating speed above the limit actuating speed as a result of the inertia of the crash element causes the crash element to be adjusted into the crash state.

4. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crash element is spring-prestressed into the normal state.

5. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein a crash-element bearing member mounts the crash element on the actuating lever such that the crash element can be pivoted about a crash-element axis.

6. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 5, wherein the crash element can be pivoted out of a starting position about the crash-element axis, and wherein the crash element is spring-prestressed into the starting position.

7. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the coupled state, the switchable coupling establishes a drive-function coupling between the actuating lever and the crash element in respect of a pivoting movement of the crash element about the crash-element axis.

8. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a blocking stop, which is in a fixed position relative to the actuating lever, the crash element coming into abutment therewith when the actuating lever is actuated.

9. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 8, wherein, with the crash element located in the crash state, actuation of the actuating lever is blocked via the switchable coupling, the crash element and the blocking stop, and/or wherein, with the crash element located in the normal state, actuation of the actuating lever is accompanied by a compensating movement of the crash element in relation to the actuating lever.

10. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein, with the crash element located in the crash state, the actuating lever has been separated in drive-function terms from the catch by the switchable coupling, and/or wherein, with the crash element located in the normal state, the actuating lever can be coupled in drive-function terms to the catch by the switchable coupling.

11. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latching action of the crash element in the crash state is attributable to a latching action of the switchable coupling, and wherein, with the crash element located in the crash state, the coupling elements of the switchable coupling are latched to one another.

12. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crash element can be adjusted into the crash state by an accelerating action which occurs in the event of a crash and acts on the motor-vehicle lock.

13. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein it is only the actuating lever being restored fully into the starting position which causes the latching action to be reversed and the crash element to be adjusted into the normal state.

14. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 5, wherein the crash-element axis is arranged at a distance from the actuating-lever axis.

15. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 14, wherein the crash-element axis can be displaced on the crash element, and wherein the adjustment of the crash element between the normal state and the crash state is attributable to a displacement of the crash-element axis on the crash element.

16. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed claim 1, wherein the switchable coupling comprises a guide-track coupling.

17. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the coupling elements is designed in the form of a guide track and the other of the coupling elements is designed in the form of a sliding block.

18. The motor-vehicle lock as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of the coupling elements has an undercut, and wherein the other one of the coupling elements engages behind the undercut in order for the two coupling elements to be latched to one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosure will be explained in more detail herein below with reference to a drawing, which illustrates just an exemplary embodiment and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an entirely schematic illustration of a motor-vehicle lock according to the proposal,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the arrangement made up of the actuating lever and crash element of the motor-vehicle lock according to FIG. 1 in the normal state, a) with the actuating lever in an unactuated state, and b) with the actuating lever actuated manually,

(4) FIG. 3 shows the arrangement according to FIG. 2 in the event of a crash, a) during the crash-induced adjustment of the crash element from the starting state in the direction of the crash state, and b) following crash-induced latching action of the crash element in the crash state,

(5) FIG. 4 shows the arrangement according to FIG. 2 during the operation of restoring the actuating lever actuated by the crash, and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the arrangement according to FIG. 2 in the normal state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) It should be pointed out in the first instance that the drawing illustrates only those components of a motor-vehicle lock 1 according to the proposal which are necessary for explaining the teaching. For example, there is no lock mechanism illustrated to provide for the setting of different locking states such as “locked” and “unlocked”. It is also the case that there is no internal door handle illustrated here. Everything which is said herein below applies correspondingly to motor-vehicle locks which have such components not illustrated here.

(8) FIG. 1 shows that the motor-vehicle lock 1 has a lock housing 1a and, contained within the same, the locking elements constituted by a latch mechanism 2 and catch 3, which interact with one another in the conventional manner. The latch mechanism 2 can be moved into the main locking position, which is shown in FIG. 1 and in which it is retained by the catch 3. The latch mechanism 2 here is retained in engagement with a locking part 4, which is configured in this case in the form of a striker pin. The catch 3 here can be pivoted, in FIG. 1 in the clockwise direction, about a catch axis 3a, in which case the latch mechanism 2 is freed and can pivot, in FIG. 1 in the counterclockwise direction, about a latch-mechanism axis 2a in the opening direction.

(9) It is then the case that the locking part 4 is in the freed state and the motor-vehicle door or the like assigned to the motor-vehicle lock 1 can be opened.

(10) The motor-vehicle lock 1 according to the proposal has at least one actuating lever 5, which can be pivoted about an actuating-lever axis 5a and of which the actuation out of a starting position into an actuating position makes it possible to disengage the catch 3. The starting position is shown in FIG. 2a, whereas the actuating position is shown in FIG. 2b. Depending on the configuration of the motor-vehicle lock 1, the disengageability of the catch 3 depends not just on the actuation of the actuating lever 5, but also on the locking state of any lock mechanism provided. This has no significance, however, as far as the solution according to the proposal is concerned.

(11) The actuating lever 5 is coupled in this case to a door handle 8, in particular an exterior door handle. It is basically also possible, however, for the door handle to be an interior door handle or some other door handle. In FIGS. 2 to 5, the drive train to the door handle is indicated by the reference sign A, whereas the drive train to the catch 3 is indicated by the reference sign B.

(12) The motor-vehicle lock 1 is also equipped with a crash element 6, which can be adjusted, in a manner which is yet to be explained, out of a normal state into a crash state. The normal state of the crash element 6 is shown in FIG. 2a, whereas the crash state of the crash element 6 is shown in FIG. 3a.

(13) In the crash state, depending on the configuration, the crash element 6 also influences the motor-vehicle lock 1 in different ways. In the case of the configuration which is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the crash element 6 located in the crash state blocks the actuating lever 5 in a blocking position, as is shown in FIG. 3b. In the case of the configuration according to FIG. 5, in contrast, provision is made for the crash element 6 located in the crash state to uncouple the actuating lever 5 from the catch 3, and therefore, with the crash element 6 located in the crash state, the actuating lever 5 freewheels.

(14) In the case of both embodiments, when the actuating lever 5 is actuated at an excessive actuating speed, the crash element 6 latches in the crash state. The latched crash state is shown, for the first-mentioned exemplary embodiment, in FIG. 3b. The term “latched” here means that the crash element 6 remains in the crash state in the first instance, even when the actuating lever 5 is no longer being actuated at excessive actuating speeds. It is only when the latching action is reversed that the crash element 6 can return to the normal state.

(15) It is essential, then, that, with the crash element 6 latched in the crash state, a restoring action of the actuating lever 5 into the starting position causes the latching action to be reversed and the crash element 6 to be adjusted into the normal state. The restoring action of the actuating lever 5 is shown in the drawing by the transition from FIG. 4 to FIG. 2a. This automatic reversal of the latching action is advantageous, in particular, since the user is unaware of the crash element 6 functioning, and therefore full operability is achieved even in the event of a crash.

(16) The actuating lever 5 is spring-prestressed into its starting position in this case by means of a spring element 7, and therefore the actuating lever 5 is always restored automatically.

(17) Provision may be made, in principle, that, with the crash element 6 latched in the crash state, it is only the actuating lever 5 being restored by at least 80% into the starting position, as seen in relation to the movement region between the starting position and actuating position, here only the actuating lever 5 being restored fully into the starting position, that causes the latching action to be reversed and the crash element 6 to be adjusted into the normal state. This means that, following crash-induced actuation of the actuating lever 5, the actuating lever 5 is restored by a certain distance without the latching action being reversed. Therefore, if there is renewed, crash-induced actuation during this restoring action, the crash element 6 remains in the crash state, and therefore the actuating lever 5 is still blocked (FIGS. 2 to 4) or in a freewheeling state (FIG. 5). In this case, with the crash element 6 latched in the crash state, it is only the actuating lever 5 being restored fully into the starting position which causes the latching action to be reversed and the crash element 6 to be adjusted into the normal state.

(18) Various options are conceivable for adjusting the crash element 6 according to the proposal in dependence on the actuating speed of the actuating lever 5. In the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated, actuation of the actuating lever 5 at an actuating speed above a limit actuating speed as a result of the inertia of the crash element 6 causes the crash element 6 to be adjusted into the crash state. This is shown by the transition from FIG. 2a to FIG. 3a. It should be stated here in the first instance that the crash element 6 is spring-prestressed into the normal state. For this purpose, the crash element 6 is assigned a first spring element 9.

(19) The adjustability of the crash element 6 between the starting state (FIG. 2a) and the crash state (FIG. 3b) is achieved in this case by a specific bearing means of the crash element 6. In a first instance, it can be the case that a crash-element bearing means or member 10 mounts the crash element 6 on the actuating lever 5 such that it can be pivoted about a crash-element axis 6a, which can be arranged at a distance from the actuating-lever axis 5a. It should be emphasized here that the crash-element axis 6a can be displaced on the actuating lever 5, wherein the adjustment of the crash element 6 between the normal state and the crash state is attributable to a displacement of the crash-element axis 6a on the actuating lever 5. In various embodiments, this adjustability of the crash-element axis 6a on the actuating lever 5 is linear. In the simplest case, the crash-element bearing member 10 is produced by a bearing pin 11 engaging with a slot 12. In this case the bearing pin 11 is arranged on the actuating lever 5, whereas the slot 12 is arranged on the crash element 6.

(20) In the case of the exemplary embodiments illustrated, the crash element 6 can be pivoted, in this case, in relation to the actuating lever 5, out of a starting position (FIG. 2a) about the crash-element axis 6a, wherein the crash element 6 is spring-prestressed into the starting position. For this purpose, the crash element is equipped with a second spring element 13.

(21) It can be the case that a switchable coupling 14 is switched by the adjustment of the crash element 6 between the normal state and the crash state. The coupling 14 is provided between the actuating lever 5 and the crash element 6. In dependence on the state of the crash element 6, it is switched into a coupled state or into an uncoupled state. In this case, the coupling 14 is a guide-track coupling, as will be explained in more detail herein below.

(22) In the case of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the arrangement is such that, in the normal state of the crash element 6, the coupling 14 is in the uncoupled state and, in the crash state of the crash element 6, the coupling 14 is in the coupled state. This is the other way round in the case of the exemplary embodiment which is shown in FIG. 5.

(23) Specifically, the coupling 14 can include two coupling elements 15, 16, which are provided by the actuating lever 5, on the one hand, and by the crash element 6, on the other hand, and, in dependence on the coupling state, engage with one another. One of the coupling elements 15, 16, in this case the coupling element 15, which is provided by the actuating lever 5, is designed in the form of a guide track and the other one of the coupling elements 15, 16, in this case the coupling element 16, which is provided by the crash element 6, is designed in the form of a sliding block, which runs in the guide track. Such a guide-track coupling is a particularly robust and cost-effective way of realizing the coupling 14.

(24) A look at FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b together shows that, with the crash element 6 located in the normal state, the coupling 14 there is in the uncoupled state, and therefore the actuating lever 5 and the crash element 6 can be pivoted freely in relation to one another over a movement region. With the crash element 6 located in the crash state, that is to say with the coupling 14 located in the coupled state, the coupling then establishes a drive-function coupling between the actuating lever 5 and the crash element 6 in respect of a pivoting movement of the crash element 6 about the crash-element axis 6a. This is shown specifically in FIG. 3b. It becomes clear here that the coupling element 15, which is configured in the form of a guide track, has a driver guide-track portion 17, which in the coupled state engages with the coupling element 16, which is configured in the form of a sliding block. In the uncoupled state, in contrast, the coupling element 16, which is configured in the form of a sliding block, runs in a freewheel guide-track portion 18, the coupling 14 not establishing any interaction between the actuating lever 5 and the crash element 6.

(25) In the case of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a blocking stop 19, which is in a fixed position relative to the actuating lever 5, is provided, the crash element 6 coming into abutment therewith, when the actuating lever 5 is actuated. This is shown in FIG. 2b and FIG. 3b. When the actuating lever 5 is actuated in the counterclockwise direction about the actuating-lever axis 5a in FIGS. 2 and 3, this means that the crash element 6 pivots in the clockwise direction about the crash-element axis 6a, as long as this is not prevented by the coupling 14.

(26) As a result, in the case of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, with the crash element 6 located in the crash state, actuation of the actuating lever 5 is blocked via the coupling 14, the crash element 6 and the blocking stop 19, as is shown in FIG. 3b. With the crash element 6 located in the normal state, in contrast, provision can be made for actuation of the actuating lever 5 to be accompanied by a compensating movement of the crash element 6 in relation to the actuating lever 5.

(27) The compensating movement can be gathered in the transition from FIG. 2a to FIG. 2b.

(28) Whereas the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 is directed toward the actuating lever 5 being blocked when the crash element 6 is located in the crash state, the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 involves the crash element 6 located in the crash state resulting in the actuating lever 5 being uncoupled from the catch 3, and therefore, with the crash element 6 located in the crash state, the actuating lever 5 freewheels.

(29) Specifically, in the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, provision is made so that, with the crash element 6 located in the crash state, the actuating lever 5 has been separated in drive-function terms from the catch 3 by means of the coupling 14. With the crash element 6 located in the normal state, in contrast, provision can be made for it to be possible for the actuating lever 5 to be coupled in drive-function terms to the catch 3 by means of the coupling 14. Proceeding from the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, this is achieved for the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 as a result of the coupling element 15, which is configured in the form of a guide track, being rearranged. It is also the case that the blocking stop 19 is guided here in a longitudinal guide 20, which can be fixed to the housing. With the crash element 6 located in the normal state, the driver guide-track portion 17 ensures that the coupling element 16, which is configured in the form of a sliding block, is carried along, and therefore the blocking stop 19 runs in the longitudinal guide 20. Since the drive train B, which runs to the catch 3, is coupled here to the blocking stop 19, the catch 3 can thus be disengaged. In the event of a crash, in contrast, the crash element 6, as explained in conjunction with FIGS. 2 to 4, is transferred into the crash state, and therefore the coupling element 16, which is configured in the form of a sliding block, runs in the freewheel guide-track portion 18. With the crash element 6 located in the crash state, the actuating lever 5 thus freewheels. As long as the actuating lever 5 has not yet been restored into its starting position, the crash element 6 is latched in the crash state, in the above sense, as a result of the interaction of the freewheel guide-track portion 18 with the coupling element 16, which is configured in the form of a sliding block.

(30) In the case of both exemplary embodiments illustrated, provision is made for the latching action of the crash element 6 in the crash state to be attributable to a latching action of the coupling 14. Specifically, with the crash element 6 located in the crash state, the coupling elements 15, 16 of the coupling 14 are latched to one another. It can be, for this purpose, for one of the coupling elements 15, in this case the coupling element 15 configured in the form of a guide track, to have an undercut 21, the other one of the coupling elements 15, 16, in this case the coupling element 16 configured in the form of a sliding block, engaging behind said undercut in order for the two coupling elements 15, 16 to be latched to one another. In the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the undercut 21 is located on the driver guide-track portion 17, whereas, in the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the undercut 21 is provided by the freewheel guide-track portion 18.

(31) Finally, it should also be pointed out that, according to the proposal, the crash element 6 is adjusted into the crash state by an excessive actuating speed of the actuating lever 5. In addition, provision may nevertheless also be made for the crash element 6 to be adjusted into the crash state by an accelerating action which occurs in the event of a crash and acts on the motor-vehicle lock 1. For the case where the motor-vehicle lock 1 is assigned to a side door of a motor vehicle, provision may be made, for example, for the crash-element bearing member 10 to be oriented such that a side impact on the side door results in inertia-induced adjustment of the crash element 6 from the normal state into the crash state. The crash element 6 here is adjusted relative to the actuating lever 5. This design further increases the crash safety of the motor-vehicle lock 1.