Motor vehicle door lock

Abstract

A motor vehicle door lock which is equipped with a locking mechanism substantially comprising a catch and pawl. Furthermore, a locking pin is provided for interaction with the locking mechanism. Furthermore, there is a damping element for a locking mechanism component and/or the locking pin. Finally, the configuration includes at least one spring which is assigned to the locking mechanism. According to the invention, the spring at least partially abuts the damping element.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle door lock comprising: a locking mechanism having a catch and a pawl; a locking pin for interacting with the locking mechanism; at least one damping element for a locking mechanism component of the locking mechanism and/or the locking pin; and at least one spring for the locking mechanism component, wherein the at least one spring at least partially abuts directly against the at least one damping element; and wherein the at least one spring has a coiled section that abuts directly against the at least one damping element via an outer circumference of the coiled section.

2. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring is a torsion spring comprising the coiled section and legs connected thereto.

3. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element has at least one arcuate segment which interacts frictionally with the coiled section.

4. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is inserted into a pocket of a latch housing.

5. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 4, wherein an opening of the pocket is closed off and sealed by the at least one damping element.

6. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element further is a locking pin damping element that is arranged in a latch housing at an end of an inlet mouth that receives the locking pin, and that abuts directly against the locking pin when the locking pin is positioned in the inlet mouth.

7. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element has external moldings for interaction with indentations in a latch housing.

8. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is made of a plastic.

9. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 8, wherein the at least one damping element is made of an elastomeric plastic.

10. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring is configured pivot the catch to release the locking pin.

11. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring and the catch are arranged around a same axis of rotation.

12. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 2, wherein the legs includes a first leg that abuts a latch housing and a second leg that abuts the catch.

13. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 3, wherein the arcuate segment has a radius that matches a radius of the coiled section of the spring.

14. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 3, wherein a thickness of the arcuate segment is at least equal to an axial length of the coiled section of the spring whereby all windings of the coiled section abut the arcuate segment.

15. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 4, wherein the at least one damping element is wholly accommodated in the pocket of the latch housing.

16. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1 further comprising a latch housing, wherein the at least one damping element is anchored in an interior of the latch housing via interlocking features formed on the at least one damping element and the latch housing.

17. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is formed as a single continuous body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment; wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the motor vehicle door lock according to the invention, in an overview,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detail view of the damping element according to FIG. 1, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a detail of the latch housing in the pocket region.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) The figures show a motor vehicle door lock which is composed substantially of a motor vehicle door latch 1 arranged on or in a motor vehicle door, on the one hand, and also a locking pin 2 arranged on the vehicle body. In principle, the configuration can also be reversed. Very generally, the motor vehicle door equipped with the motor vehicle door lock described below can be a side door, a tailgate, a front hood, a sliding door, a tank hatch or loading hatch, etc.

(6) The motor vehicle door lock and/or the motor vehicle door latch 1 has, in its basic structure, a locking mechanism 3, 4 substantially comprising a catch 3 and a pawl 4 interacting with the same. At least one damping element 5 is additionally included. The damping element 5 can generally interact with a locking mechanism component 3, 4 and/or the locking pin 2. According to the exemplary embodiment, the design is implemented in such a manner that the damping element 5 is a locking pin damping element 5—that is, a damping element 5 which interacts with the locking pin 2.

(7) Finally, the basic structure also includes at least one spring 6 assigned to the locking mechanism component 3, 4. In the figure, the spring 6 is a catch spring 6—i.e., a spring 6 which is assigned to the catch 3. The spring and/or catch spring 6 specifically ensures that the catch 3 executes the pivoting movements indicated in FIG. 1 in the clockwise direction to release the locking pin 2 as soon as the pawl 4 is lifted from the catch 3. Starting from the closed position of the locking mechanism 3, 4 shown in FIG. 1, an opening of the locking mechanism 3, 4 can be brought about by the pawl 4 being lifted off the catch 3 about its axis by a clockwise movement, likewise indicated in FIG. 1, so that subsequently the catch 3 can pivot about its axis in the indicated clockwise direction. As a result, the previously captive locking pin 2 is released. The rotation of the catch 3 occurs about its axis and/or axis of rotation, which is also arranged centrally in relation to the spring and/or catch spring 6.

(8) The spring and/or catch spring 6 in the exemplary embodiment is a torsion spring. It has a coiled section 6a and legs 6b, 6c connected thereto. The design is such that one leg 6b of the spring 6 abuts a latch housing 7, while the other leg 6c of the spring 6 overlaps the catch 3 with its uncoiled end and/or abuts the catch 3 by the outer circumference thereof. As a result, a closing movement of the catch 3 in a counterclockwise direction causes the spring and/or catch spring 6 to be tensioned.

(9) In order not to cause “creaking” noises in the spring 6, in particular upon such a tensioning movement of the spring and/or catch spring 6, the spring 6 at least partially abuts the damping element 5. In fact, the design is implemented in such a manner that the spring 6, with at least the coiled section 6a, abuts the damping element 5 on its outer circumference. For this purpose, the damping element 5 has an arcuate segment 5a.

(10) The overall design is such that the arcuate segment 5a has a radius which matches the radius of the coiled section 6a of the spring 6. This results in a high-surface-area abutment of the coiled section 6a of the spring 6 against said arcuate segment 5a as a component of the damping element 5. This is additionally ensured by the fact that the material thickness of the arcuate segment 5a of the damping element 5 matches an axial length of the coiled section 6a of the spring 6. In this way, the invention ensures that all windings of the coiled section 6a of the spring 6 abut the arcuate segment 5a of the damping element and/or locking pin damping element 5 at the same time.

(11) A comparative examination of FIGS. 1 and 3 shows that the damping element and/or locking pin damping element 5 is accommodated as a whole in a pocket 8 of the latch housing 7. The pocket 8 has an opening 9 which is the result of the manufacturing process. According to the invention, the opening 9 can now be closed off and sealed by means of the damping element 5. This ensures that any water, dust or dirt that penetrates into the motor vehicle door latch 1 via an inlet opening 10 cannot penetrate into the interior of the latch housing 7. As such, levers, drive motors, etc. configured in this location are protected from such external influences.

(12) In addition, it can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3 that the locking pin damping element 5 is arranged at the end of said inlet mouth 10 in the latch housing 7. The damping element 5 has external moldings 5b to hold it in the latch housing 7, which interact with—and/or can interact with—associated indentations 7a in the latch housing 7. In this way, the damping element 5 can be anchored in the interior of the latch housing 7 in a precise position at the end of the inlet mouth 10.

(13) The damping element 5 is usually made of plastic. An elastomeric plastic is most commonly used in this case. Plastics such as NBR (acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber), EPDM (ethylene-propylene rubber), SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) or the like are possibilities, and are used.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(14) 1 motor vehicle door latch and/or motor vehicle door lock 2 locking pin 3 catch 4 pawl 3, 4 locking mechanism 5 damping element 5a arcuate segment 6 spring and/or catch spring 6a coiled section 6b, 6c legs 7 latch housing 7a indentations 8 pocket 9 opening 10 inlet opening