Securing device comprising a manually unlockable front hood

Abstract

Disclosed is a securing device (1), comprising a front hood (2) and a hood lock (3) with a lock holder (10), for a motor vehicle; the hood lock (3) includes a rotary latch (4) featuring a pre-locking position and a main locking position, and an electric drive (5) for switching the rotary latch (4) from the main locking position into the pre-locking position, the front hood (2) being closed and locked in the main locking position; in the pre-locking position of the rotary latch, the front hood (2) can be manually moved from a locked position of the front hood (2) in which the lock holder (10) engages the rotary latch (4) and the front hood (2) is locked, into an unlocked position of the front hood (2) in which the lock holder (10) is released by the rotary latch (4) and the front hood (2) is unlocked.

Claims

1. A safety device comprising: a front hood, and a hood latch with a striker that is coupled to the front hood, for a motor vehicle, wherein the hood latch has a catch with a pre-ratchet position and a main ratchet position and an electrical drive which causes switchover of the catch from the main ratchet position into the pre-ratchet position, wherein when the catch is in the main ratchet position, the front hood is closed and in a locking position in which the front hood is locked, wherein when the catch is in the pre-ratchet position, the catch is blocked in an opening rotational direction and the striker engages with the catch so that the front hood remains in the locking position, wherein the front hood is manually linearly translatable, when the catch is in the pre-ratchet position, from the locking position of the front hood, to an unlocking position of the front hood in which the striker is released by the catch and the front hood is unlocked, wherein an opening sequence of the front hood includes a first electrical operation in which the switchover of the catch from the main ratchet position into the pre-ratchet position by the electrical drive occurs and the front hood remains in the locking position, and a second manual operation that occurs after the first electrical operation, in which the catch is in the pre-ratchet position and the front hood is manually transferred from the locking position to the unlocking position without the electrical drive.

2. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the safety device has a mounting for the front hood, wherein the mounting has at least a first rotating joint, preferably a second rotating joint, a first connecting element and a second connecting element and the first rotating joint rotatably couples the first connecting element with the second connecting element and the second connecting element are shifted in respect of the first connecting element.

3. The safety device according to claim 2, wherein the first rotating joint is guided in an elongated hole of the first connecting element or the second connecting element.

4. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the striker in the unlocking position of the front hood is at a greater distance from the mounting than in the locking position of the front hood.

5. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the striker in the unlocking position of the front hood is closer to the mounting than in the locking position of the front hood.

6. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the catch is spring-loaded in the pre-ratchet position.

7. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the safety device has a mechanical operative connection during switchover of the catch from the main ratchet position into the pre-ratchet position between the electrical drive and the catch.

8. The safety device according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical operative connection is directly connected to each of the catch and the electrical drive.

9. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the safety device has a mechanical operative connection between the electrical drive and the catch during switchover of the catch from the pre-ratchet position into the main ratchet position.

Description

(1) Other advantages, characteristics and details of the invention result from the following description at least of a preferred exemplary embodiment to which the invention is not restricted, however, and on the basis of the figures.

(2) These are demonstrated in:

(3) FIG. 1 a cross-sectional view of a safety device;

(4) FIG. 2 a cross-sectional view of a section of the safety device according to FIG. 1 with a catch in an opening end position;

(5) FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view of a section of the safety device according to FIG. 1 with a catch in a pre-ratchet position;

(6) FIG. 4 a cross-sectional view of a section of the safety device according to FIG. 1 with a catch in a main ratchet position;

(7) FIG. 5 a cross-sectional view of the safety device according to FIG. 1 with the catch in a main ratchet position and a front hood in an unlocking position and in a locking position;

(8) FIG. 6 an mounting for the front hood of the safety device according to FIG. 1.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a safety device 1 with a front hood 2 which has a front edge 2.1 and a rear edge 2.2, a hood latch 3 and an mounting 13. The mounting 13 encompasses a first rotating joint 14, which is equipped with an internal ring 15, an external ring 16 and roller elements 17 and a first connecting element 18 and a second connecting element 19. The external ring 16 is guided in a gliding manner in an elongated hole 20 of the first connecting element 18. The internal ring 15 is firmly connected to the second connecting element 19, which is configured as a pin, and the connecting element 19 is firmly connected to the front hood 2. In this embodiment, the first connecting element 18 is arranged on a static component of the safety device. By means of the roller element 17 the first connecting element 18 is rotatably coupled with the second connecting element 19, whereby the second connecting element 19 is shiftable in the elongated hole 20 compared to the first connecting element 18.

(10) The hood latch 3 has a catch 4 and an electrical drive 5 which encompasses a first electromotor 6 and a second electromotor 7. The catch 4 and a pawl 12 are respectively rotatably arranged on a static component of the safety device 1 which is not illustrated, whereby the catch 4 is located in the position shown in FIG. 1 in the main ratchet position. The front hood 2 is closed in the position shown by means of solid lines in FIG. 1, i.e. it is located in a closure position. In the closure position, an elastic element 8, such as a sealing rubber which is arranged in the closure position between a static component 9 of the safety device 1 and the front hood 2 is compressed. The open position of the front hood 2 is illustrated in dot dashes in FIG. 1. Furthermore, the safety device 1 has a striker 10 which can be executed as a latch bracket, for example, and is attached by means of a coupling element 11 on the front hood 2.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a section of the safety device 1, whereby the catch 4 is located in an opening end position; The catch 4 has a pivot point 23, an opening rotational direction 21 and a closure rotational direction 22 in the opposite direction. In the opening end position, the catch lies adjacent on a stop which is not shown. Furthermore, the catch 4 has a pre-ratchet contour 24 and a main ratchet contour 25, respectively in the form of a protrusion, and an infeed section 27, which is formed by means of an arresting arm 28 and a load arm 29. The pre-ratchet contour 24 and the main ratchet contour 25 can respectively interact with a counter ratchet contour 26 of the pawl 12. The front hood 2 is located in the position shown in FIG. 2 in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position and is unlocked and released.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a section of the safety device 1, whereby the catch 4 is located in an opening end position. In the pre-ratchet position, the pawl 12 is kept compressed with the aid of a pawl spring element 31, such as a tensioning, compression or spiral spring against the catch 4. Advantageously, the catch 4 is spring-loaded in the pre-ratchet position by means of a catch spring element 32, such as a tensioning, compression or spiral spring, in an opening rotational direction 21, whereby in the pre-ratchet position the pre-ratchet contour 24 is positioned pressing against the counter ratchet contour 26.

(13) Starting from the opening end position of the catch 4 shown in FIG. 2, during a movement of the front hood 2 in the direction of the closure position of the front hood 2 the striker 10 impacts onto the arresting arm 28 and is guided by means of the arresting arm 28 in the direction of an internal end 30 of the infeed section 27, whereby the catch 4 rotates into the closure rotational direction 22. During rotation of the catch 4 in the closure rotational direction 22 up to at least beyond the main ratchet position of the catch 4 the main ratchet contour 24 passes the counter ratchet contour 26 and the pre-ratchet contour 24 is located in the closure rotational direction 22 viewed in front of the counter ratchet contour 26, whereby the contour ratchet contour 26 can ratchet into the main ratchet contour 24 and the catch 4 subsequently assumes the main ratchet position shown in FIG. 3. In the pre-ratchet position, the pawl 12 blocks a rotation of the catch 4 in the opening rotational direction 21.

(14) In FIG. 3, the front hood 2 is shown in an unlocking position by means of solid lines, whereby the front hood 2 is unlocked. By pressing the front hood 2 on the front edge 2.1 in the direction of the rear edge 2.2 the front hood 2 can be transferred into the locking position, i.e. the front hood 2 can be moved manually between the locking position and the unlocking position. The locking position is illustrated in FIG. 3 by means of broken lines. In the locking position the striker 10 is engaged with the catch 4 which is located in the pre-ratchet position, whereby the front hood 2 is locked, i.e. a movement of the front hood 2 is blocked in the direction of the open position. In this embodiment, the striker 10 is located in the unlocking position of the front hood 2 further away from the mounting 13 than in the locking position of the front hood 2.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a section of the safety device 1, whereby the catch 4 is located in the main ratchet position; The main ratchet position is attained by the catch 4 starting from the pre-ratchet position being further rotated in the closure rotational direction 22. In one embodiment, this can be caused by depression of the front hood 2 and in another embodiment by driving of the catch 4 by means of the first electromotor 6. A mechanical operative connection can thus be provided by means of a pinion gearwheel 34 which is connected to a pinion shaft of the first electromotor 6 in a form-fitting manner and a drive gearwheel 35 which is connected to the catch 4 in a form-fitting manner, whereby the pinion shaft gearwheel 34 combs with the drive gearwheel 35. By means of this mechanical operative connection, the catch 4 can be driven during switchover from the pre-ratchet position to the main ratchet position.

(16) A movement of the catch 4 can also be caused in the direction of the main ratchet position by means of a combination of a manual depression and electrical driving of the first electromotor 6.

(17) In an advantageous embodiment, the first electromotor 6 is activated to drive the catch in the closure rotational direction as soon as a movement of the catch 4 is recorded in the closure rotational direction, for example by means of a sensor which can be executed as a multiturn potentiometer. A recording of the movement of the catch 4 in the closure rotational direction can furthermore be facilitated by means of operation of the first electromotor 6 in generator operation, whereby rotation of the catch 4 in the closure rotational direction generates a current flow in the first electromotor 6.

(18) During rotation of the catch 4 in the closure rotational direction 22 up to at least beyond the main ratchet position of the catch 4 the main ratchet contour 25 passes the counter ratchet contour 26 and the main ratchet contour 25 is located in the closure rotational direction 22, whereby the counter ratchet contour 26 can ratchet into the main ratchet contour 24 and the catch 4 subsequently assumes the main ratchet position. Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows a circular static brake blocks to brake the catch 4 in the closure rotational direction, whereby play is present between the catch 4 and the brake block in the main ratchet position in order to enable ratcheting of the catch into the main ratchet position.

(19) In the main ratchet position, the infeed section 27 encompasses the striker 10 and the pawl 12 blocks a rotation of the catch 4 in an opening rotational direction 21, whereby the front hood 2 is locked, closed and blocked in the direction of the unlocking position and in the direction of the open position by means of the load arm 29 of the catch. The load arm 29 is preferably formed in such a way that a main alignment of the load arm 29 assumes an angle 41 of at least 20 degrees in the direction of an opening of the infeed section 27 with a lateral edge of the front hood 2. In a special configuration, this angle 41 can be between 20 and 29, in a different embodiment between 30 and 39, in another variant between 40 and 49 degrees.

(20) In addition to securing of the front hood 2 in the direction of the unlocking position, in the case of a frontal impact in which the catch 4 is pushed in respect of the front hood 2 against the direction of travel of the motor vehicle, this can cause increased pulling of the front hood 2 in the direction of the catch 4 and thus firmer pressing of the front hood 2 onto a further chassis element of the safety device 1, for example the static component 9 and thus reduce a risk of unintentional unlocking of the front hood 2 and provide a more compact and thus crashproof unit consisting of the front hood 2 and the further chassis element. This advantage is provided in particular by means of an arch-shaped infeed section 27 of the catch 4 and by means of the catch 4 as such as a component of the safety device 1.

(21) After the counter ratchet contour 26 is ratcheted into the main ratchet contour 24, the first electromotor 6 is deactivated, where this was activated to switch over from the pre-ratchet position into the main ratchet position. The first electromotor 6 can be operated in generator mode for a short time to record the catch position, preferably intermittently between motor mode and generator mode, whereby in generator mode a current signal is generated differently from zero, insofar as the catch has not yet reached the main ratchet position. After the catch has assumed the main ratchet position, the catch rests and the current signal reaches a zero value in generator mode. Such an operating mode of the first electromotor 6 enables a sensor for recording the catch position or exact fine-tuning of the first electromotor 6 to the geometry of the catch 4 to be dispensed with.

(22) If the front hood 2 is unlocked starting from the main ratchet position, the catch 4 is initially transferred from the main ratchet position to the pre-ratchet position. This can be caused by the second electromotor 7, moving the pawl 12 into the release position illustrated as a broken line in FIG. 4 by means of a pawl pinion gear drive 36 and a pawl drive gearwheel 33 in which the catch 4 is released in the opening rotational direction.

(23) Advantageously, the first electromotor 6 causes switchover of the catch 4 from the main ratchet position shown in FIG. 4 into the pre-ratchet position shown in FIG. 3, whereby the safety device has a mechanical operative connection during this switchover. The mechanical operative connection is formed by means of an output socket gear 34, which is form-fittingly connected to the pinion shaft of the first electromotor 6, and the pinion gear drive 35 which is form-fittingly connected to the catch 4, whereby the output socket gear 34 combs with the pinion gear drive 35. In this switchover of the catch 4 driven by the first electromotor 6, as described above, intermittent operation of the first electromotor 6 is possible which alternates between motor mode and generator mode, whereby it can be recorded when the catch 4 has reached the pre-ratchet position.

(24) In a different embodiment, the catch 4 rotates from the main ratchet position into the pre-ratchet position in a spring-loaded manner by means of the catch spring element 32 after the pawl 12 has reached the release position. A further configuration can envisage an interacting driving of the catch 4 by means of the electromotor 6 and the catch spring element 32. The theory according to the invention does not inevitably provide for electrical driving of the catch 4 during switchover of the catch 4 from the main ratchet position into the pre-ratchet position. Consequently, an embodiment of the theory according to the invention is also possible according to FIGS. 1 to 6 without the first electromotor 6. The switchover of the catch 4 from the main ratchet position into the pre-ratchet position is caused in this case by the second electromotor 7 as described above.

(25) FIG. 5 shows the safety device with the catch in the pre-ratchet position. After switchover from the main ratchet position into the pre-ratchet position of the catch 4 the front hood 2 is located in the locking position illustrated as a broken line in FIG. 3 or as continuous lines as illustrated in FIG. 5. In the pre-ratchet position shown in FIG. 5, the front hood 2 can be manually transferred from the locking position to the unlocking position illustrated as a broken line in FIG. 5 by means of a tension impingement on the front edge 2.1. In the unlocking position the striker 10 is released by the catch and the front hood 2 is unlocked and the front hood 2 can be moved into the open position shown in FIG. 1.

(26) Upon attainment of the open position of the front hood 2 it can be provided for that the catch 4 is transferred from the pre-ratchet position into the opening end position shown in FIG. 2. Advantageously, the pawl 12 can be transferred with the aid of the second electromotor 7 into the release position shown in FIG. 4, whereby a spring-driven rotation of the catch 4 to the opening end position is caused. In a different embodiment, a catch 4 can be provided for which has none of the opening end positions shown in FIG. 2, but comes into contact with a stop in the pre-ratchet position which blocks rotation of the catch 4 in the opening rotational direction 21. Use of a catch 4 which cannot be moved beyond the pre-ratchet position is enabled in particular by shiftability of the front hood 2 from the locking position into the unlocking position.

(27) In a special embodiment, an arrangement of the striker 10 to the catch 4 can be provided for such that the front hood 2 is elevated during switchover from the main ratchet position to the pre-ratchet position around a path 51 which can be approximately 10 cm. Advantageously, such an elevation enables ergonomically beneficial grasping of the front edge 2.1 of the front hood 2, so that pulling of the front hood 2 is facilitated.

(28) FIG. 6 shows a configuration of the mounting 13 with a blocking element 61 and a recess 62 in the first connecting element 18. The blocking element 61 is preferably arranged firmly on the front hood 2 or the second connecting element 19 and rotates during rotation of the front hood 2 in the direction of the open position and closed position. Such a rotation of the blocking element 61 causes insertion of the blocking element 61 into the recess 62 and blocking of a shifting of the second connecting element 19 in respect of the first connecting element 18 in the direction of the locking position of the front hood 2, whereby this direction is illustrated with the arrow 63. The blocking element 61 and the front hood 2 are illustrated as a broken line in FIG. 6 in a state in which the blocking element 61 is inserted into the recess 62. A safety device with a blocking element has the advantage that the front hood 2 is not shiftable or is solely rotatable in the open position or in an intermediate position.

(29) In one embodiment in which a rotation of the catch 4 is blocked in an opening rotational direction 21 via the pre-ratchet position by means of a stop, the striker 10 can be accommodated during movement of the front hood 2 from the open position to the closed position by the arrester arm 28 nevertheless as the blocking element 61 causes a position of the front hood 2 and thus the striker 10 shifted in the direction of the front edge 2.1 and the striker 10 is guided past the load arm 29 during the closure movement of the front hood 2.