Motor vehicle door lock

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock comprising an actuation/locking lever mechanism, with a first lever and a second lever, both levers being couplable with each other in at least two different relative positions. At least the one, first lever comprises a detent spring connected thereto for engagement with at least one detent recess on the other, second lever.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle door lock comprising an actuation/locking lever mechanism with a first lever and a second lever, with both levers being couplable with each other in at least two different relative positions, wherein, when coupled together, the first lever and the second lever pivot together, wherein the second lever defines at least two detent recesses, wherein the first lever comprises a detent spring connected thereto for engagement with one of the detent recesses of the second lever to define two different positions where the first and second lever are coupled together, wherein the detent spring contains a switching arm, by aid of which the detent spring can be selectively pivoted out of one of the detent recesses, wherein the first lever does not change its position in relation to the second lever and the second lever with the detent recess is a detent lever arrangeable in different detent positions relative to the fixed lever, and wherein the detent spring is movable into and out of engagement with the detent recesses of the second lever to decouple the first and second levers and permit pivoting of the detent lever relative to the fixed lever.

2. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the detent spring contains a detent cam and a spring extension arm.

3. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 2, wherein, the spring extension arm is connected to the first lever at an articulating point and that the detent cam engages in one of the detent recesses on the second lever.

4. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 3, wherein the spring extension arm and the switching arm are arranged co-linearly or angled to each other, in particular perpendicularly.

5. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 4, wherein the spring extension arm contains a catch engaging in a recess fixed in relation to the housing in addition to the detent cam.

6. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 5, wherein the catch is arranged between the articulation point of the detent spring and the projection.

7. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 2, wherein the detent cam is designed as a projection connected to the spring extension arm.

8. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 2, wherein the detent cam is provided as a U- or V-shaped spring extension arm of the detent spring.

9. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 2, wherein the detent spring contains a switching arm, by aid of which the detent spring can be selectively pivoted out of one of the detent recesses.

10. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 9, wherein that the spring extension arm and the switching arm are arranged co-linearly or angled to each other, in particular perpendicularly.

11. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 9, wherein the spring extension arm contains a catch engaging in a recess fixed in relation to the housing in addition to the detent cam.

12. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the detent lever is mounted on the fixed lever in a rotation axis.

13. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 12, wherein the detent spring produces a spring force acting on the detent lever in the area of the rotation axis.

14. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 13, wherein the detent spring engages in one of the detent recesses with its detent cam on the side of the detent lever.

15. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 14, wherein the detent spring engages in one of the detent recesses with its detent cam perpendicular to the detent lever.

16. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the detent spring engages in one of the detent recesses with its detent cam perpendicular to the detent lever.

17. Motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, further comprising a triggering lever, wherein, when the first and second lever are coupled together in a first position, the detent lever cannot engage the triggering lever and wherein, when the first and second lever are coupled together in a second position, the detent lever engages the triggering lever when the first and second levers pivot together.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention,

(2) FIG. 2a shows a view of a modified version and

(3) FIG. 2b shows a view from the top onto the version of FIG. 2a

(4) FIG. 3a shows a cross section of a further modified version and

(5) FIG. 3b shows a view from the top onto the version of FIG. 3a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) In general the figures show a motor vehicle door lock comprising an actuation lever mechanism 1 and a locking lever mechanism 2. The actuation lever mechanism 1 contains a first lever or a fixed lever 1 as well as other levers, not shown. The actuation lever mechanism 1 can also include a handle (internal and/or external door handle).

(7) Only a second lever 2 or detent lever 2 of the locking lever mechanism 2 is shown. The detent lever 2 is mounted on the fixed lever 1 in a rotation axis 3. Although the rotation axis 3 can be fixed in relation to the housing, this is not absolutely necessary. The detent lever 2 can be pivoted into base position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1 and a deflection position (dashed-dotted line) in relation to the fixed lever 1.

(8) The deflection position, indicated by a dashed or dash-dotted line in FIG. 1 of the detent lever 2 corresponds to the detent lever 2 now being able to act on a triggering lever 4, whilst the detent lever 2 in its base position, shown by the solid line, is not able to do so. A locking mechanism, not shown, can be opened with the aid of the triggering lever 4. The triggering lever 4 actually acts on a pawl, lifting it off a rotary latch. The rotary latch opens with the aid of a spring and releases a previously retained locking pin. As a result, a respective motor vehicle door can be opened as part of a so-called quick release function.

(9) The detent lever 2 is in this case designed as a quick release lever although the invention is not limited to this. In the base position, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1, any actuation of the triggering lever 4 by the actuation lever mechanism 1 has no effect and this corresponds to the functional position locked. When, however, the detent lever 2 takes up its dashed-dotted position in FIG. 1 as a result of being acted upon manually and/or by a motor, pivoting of the fixed lever 1 around the axis of rotation 3 in the sense of a clockwise movement indicated in FIG. 1, allows the actuating lever 4 to be acted upon, as described. As a result, an associated motor vehicle door can be opened as part of a quick release function. The described pivoting process of the detent lever 2 occurs, in deed, nearly without any delay in contrast to the usual unlocking process.

(10) In order to actually achieve this functionality. the two levers 1, 2 can be coupled in at least two different relative positions, the aforementioned base position and the deflection position. For this purpose, the first lever or fixed lever 1 contains a connected detent spring 5. The detent spring 5 is provided to selectively engage in the detent recesses 6 or 6a on the other second lever or detent lever 2. From FIG. 1 it is apparent that the detent spring 5 contains a detent cam 5a and a spring extension arm 5b. In addition, the detent spring 5 can also contain a switching arm 5c described in more detail below.

(11) The spring extension arm 5b is connected to the first lever or fixed lever 1 at an articulated point 7. The detent cam 5a engages in one of the detent recess 6 on the second lever or detent lever 2. The detent cam 5a and detent recesses 6 and 6a can each have a rectangular cross section, as shown in the example of FIG. 1. In this case, the detent cam 5a is designed as a projection 5a connected to the spring extension arm 5b. In general, the detent cam 5a can, however, also be provided in form of a U-shaped or V-shaped design of the detent spring or of the spring extension arm 5b. This is shown in the examples of FIGS. 3a and 3b.

(12) This means that in this case, the detent cam 5a is defined on spring extension arm 5b by an additional production process, in most cases a deep drawing process. As already explained, the second lever or detent lever 2 with detent recesses 6 and 6a can be arranged in different detent positions in relation to the first lever or fixed lever 1 with detent spring 5 based on which detent recess 6 or 6a that detent cam 5a engaged in. For this purpose, the detent spring 5 typically produces a spring force F in the area of the rotation axis 3 acting on detent lever 2. In the example of FIG. 1 the spring force F acts radially in relation to rotation axis 3. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2a, spring force F acts in axial direction. The same applies to the embodiment of FIG. 3a.

(13) Different options exist for providing the interaction between the detent spring 5 and the detent recesses 6 and 6a. The detent spring 5 with its detent cam 5a on the side of the detent lever 5 can engage in the detent recess 6 or 6a. This is shown in FIG. 1. In this case the detent recess 6 is located at the edge of the detent lever 2 and detent recess 6a is spaced apart from detent recess 6 on the edge of the detent lever 2.

(14) Alternatively, it is also feasible that the detent spring 5 with its detent cam 5a perpendicular to the detent lever 2, engages in the detent recess 6 or 6a. This is shown in FIGS. 2a and 3a. With this option it has also proven to be advantageous for the detent cam 5a to be provided in form of a U-shaped or V-shaped design of the spring extension arm 5b. Such a U-shaped or V-shaped design or detent cam 5a provided in such a way can actually not only engage in a recess 6 or 6a on the detent lever 2 but can, in principle, also extend through a recess of the fixed lever 1, as shown in FIGS. 3a and b. With the aid of the switching arm 5c the detent spring 5 or its detent cam 5a can be pivoted out of its detent recess 6 or 6a. For this purpose, the switching arm 5c can be connected at an angle to the spring extension arm 5b. This is shown by a dashed/dotted line in FIG. 1. The solid line option shows, however, a situation in which the switching arm 5c is co-linearly connected to said arm as an extension. In this way the switching arm and 5c and the spring extension arm 5b together form an actuation rocker in relation to the articulation point 7 between the detent spring 5 and the fixed lever 1.

(15) The detailed drawing of FIG. 1 also shows that the detent spring 5 can be provided with an additional catch 8. This additional catch 8 can engage in a recess 9 fixed in relation to the housing. In this way, the additional catch 8 can absorb loads in this area. The additional catch 8 is also arranged between the articulating point 7 between the detent spring 5 and the fixed lever 1 and the projection 5a.

(16) All embodiments are characterized by the detent lever 2 being connected to the fixed lever 1 as its extension via rotation axis 3. In this arrangement, both levers 1, 2 can be arranged parallel to one another. In order to remove the projection 5a from the detent recess 6 or 6a, the switching arm 5c only has to be acted upon in the version shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively or in addition, the process described in embodiment examples of FIGS. 2a, b and 3a, b can also be employed. In this case a switching force F.sub.S acts on detent spring 5 in such a way that the switching force F.sub.S is directly applied to the U- or V-shaped detent spring 5 or detent cam 5a, designed in this way. The detent lever 2 can in any case be easily returned from its base position to the deflection position and back, so that the described quick release function can be directly realised.

(17) Naturally, the invention is not limited to such a quick-release function. Instead, the described cooperation between levers 1, 2 can also be used for any other possible areas of application in a motor vehicle door lock.