Lock for a vehicle door with a spring plate in the inlet region of the locking bolt

Abstract

A lock is provided especially for a door (2) or flap of a motor vehicle. Said lock has a lock housing (3) and a locking mechanism having a rotary latch (4) and a pawl, wherein the rotary latch (4) is arranged pivotably about an axis (22) and interacts with a locking bow (9), which is assigned to the bodywork (8), during the opening and closing of the door (2). At least one spring plate (15) which is oriented substantially parallel to the rotary latch (4) and surrounds the locking bow (9) in the locking position of the lock is arranged in the lock inlet region of the lock housing (3).

Claims

1. A lock for a door, wherein the lock and the door are moveable in a driving direction, the lock comprising a locking mechanism and the locking mechanism comprising: a lock housing having a lock inlet region; a rotary latch arranged in the lock housing and pivotable about an axis between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein the rotary latch is oriented perpendicular to the driving direction; a locking bow having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the locking bow having a locking bolt extending from the first end of the locking bow through the rotary latch, a supporting bolt extending from the second end of the locking bow and parallel to the locking bolt, and a cross bolt arranged perpendicular to the locking bolt and the supporting bolt for connecting the locking bolt and the supporting bolt, the cross bolt being spaced from the rotary latch and extending parallel with the rotary latch; and at least one spring plate that is spaced from the rotary latch, the at least one spring plate having spring arms that extend parallel with the rotary latch and along the cross bolt, wherein the spring arms contain bent sections that directly rest against the cross bolt, wherein the at least one spring plate encloses the first end of the locking bow and is arranged in the lock inlet region, wherein the at least one spring plate is configured to absorb movements of the door that are perpendicular to the driving direction of the lock and the door.

2. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring plate is a spring clip made from spring steel.

3. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the rotary latch is mounted on the locking bolt.

4. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the spring arms extend from a round bow, wherein free ends of the spring arms are bent away from the cross bolt.

5. The lock according to claim 4, wherein the lock housing contains the at least one spring plate with the round bow.

6. The lock according to claim 5, wherein the lock housing contains recesses in which the free ends of the spring arms are seated for securing the at least one spring plate within the lock housing.

7. The lock according to claim 6, wherein the recesses are configured to allow the plugging in or insertion of the at least one spring plate.

8. The lock according to claim 6, wherein the recesses are arranged to prevent movement of the free ends of the spring arms.

9. The lock according to claim 1, wherein a width of the at least one spring plate corresponds to the diameter of the cross bolt along an entire length of the at least one spring plate.

10. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the lock inlet region is funnel shaped.

11. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring plate includes an elastic plastic material applied to an inner surface of the at least one spring plate for absorbing shock when the locking bolt is inserted into the lock housing.

12. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the bent sections are pressed against the cross bolt in a direction that is normal to the driving direction.

13. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spring plate encloses the first end of the locking bow in a region where the locking bolt is connected to the cross bolt.

Description

(1) Further details and advantages of the object of the invention are detailed in the below descriptions to the related drawing, showing a preferred embodiment with the required details and individual parts, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a view from the top onto the lock housing with the rotary latch in the closed state of the lock,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a view from the top onto the lock housing, without rotary latch

(4) FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the lock housing with the locking bolt and spring plate

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross section through the lock housing with the locking bolt and spring plate

(6) FIG. 5 shows a view from the top onto the lock inlet region with the used spring plate and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view and clarifications of the positions of the rotary latch and spring plate in relation to the locking bow.

(8) FIG. 1 shows part of a lock 1 intended for motor vehicle with the lock housing 3 assigned to the door 2 and the locking bow 9, assigned to the bodywork 8. The lock housing 3 contains the rotary latch 4 and also further associated components of the closing and securing mechanismnot shownsuch as the pawl. The rotary latch 4 is shown in the closed condition of the lock 1, with the rotary latch 4 having pivoted or turned around the locking bow 9 inserted through the lock inlet region 5 or its locking bolt 10. The drawing shows the spring plate 15, which in this case has a certain distance to the locking bolt 10, as well as the axis of rotation 22, around which the rotary latch 4 is rotated. Due to the special form of the rotary latch 4, the door 2 moves towards the bodywork 8 during closing so that the door 2 is closed. The door is even closed despite of the force of the door sealsnot shown. When closing the door 2, the rotary latch 4 closely abuts the locking bolt 10 of the locking bow 9, as shown in FIG. 1. This movement of the door 2 is in Y direction, i.e. nearly horizontal to the driving direction in the direction of the motor vehicle seats.

(9) In FIG. 2, the rotary latch 4 is not installed and thus not shown. As a result, the shape or position of the locking bow 9 is clearly apparent. Numeral 10 refers to the locking bolt and 11 to the opposing supporting bolt, connected by means of the cross bolt 12.

(10) The spring plate 15 is designed as a clip 16 or a spring clip, in which the round bow 17 provides the required pressing force against the cross bolt 12. Two spring arms 18, 19 are connected to this round bow 17, with the free ends 20, 20 of the arms being slightly bent or edged. As indicated in FIG. 2, the two spring arms 18, 19 abut precisely in the region of the bent section 24 against the locking bow 9 or, in particular, the locking bow 12. Further information is provided below.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the lock housing 3 and, it is apparent that the foot of the bolt 23 of the locking bolt 10 has a shape facilitating secure anchoring in the base platenot shown. The locking bolt 10 itself is in some ways inserted in the lock housing 3 and is enclosed by the spring plate 15shown here in dashed linesin the region of the cross bolt 12. Apart from the locking bow 9 or locking bolt 10, the Figure also shows rotary latch 4 with its axis 22. Because of the chosen sectional view, the inner sides of the rotary latch 4 are shown at a certain distance to the locking bolt 10.

(12) The spring plate 15 is inserted in provided assemblies 26 into the lock housing 3, with the special shape of the spring plate 15 being emphasized again, in particular, in FIG. 5. Apart from the Z direction 37 also the driving direction 35, i.e. the X direction is shown, which also shows that the insertion of the locking bow 9 into the lock housing 3 or the lock inlet region 5 is perpendicular to the driving direction but horizontal.

(13) In contrast to FIG. 3, FIG. 4 shows a cross section from which it is apparent that of the entire locking bow 9 it is actually only the locking bolt 10 and again the cross bolt 12 that are affected by the spring plate 15 to ensure the best possible fixing of the locking bolt 10 in the rotary latch 4 and in the spring plate 15. The Figure shows that in the area of the foot of the bolt 23, the rotary latch 4 comprises the locking bolt 10, whilst the zone of influence of the spring plate 15 is located at a distance thereof inside the lock housing 3 in the area of the cross bolt 12 and of the top end of the locking bolt 10. FIG. 4 also shows that the spring plate 15 contains a so-called reduction step 27, i.e. the width of the spring plate 15 in the area of the cross bolt 12 and thus the spring arms 18, 19 is greater than in the area of the round bow 17 or of the locking bolt 10. The respective greater width in the area of the cross bolt 12 allows, in particular, effective pressing against the cross bolt 12 and thus the locking bow 9, whilst the spring plate 15 is respectively narrower in the round bow 17. This can also be used to influence the force of the spring by selecting the respective suitable reduction step 27. FIG. 4 also shows that, using assemblies 26, the spring plate 15 can be arranged securely in the lock housing 3. Advantageously, the preformed component spring plate 15 can be simply inserted from the top into the recesses or assemblies 26. Numeral 35 indicates the driving direction or X direction and numeral 36 the Y direction, i.e. the horizontal direction to the driving direction in which the locking bow 9 is moved into the zone of influence of the lock housing 3 and in which the seats are located.

(14) The lock inlet region 5 is clearly apparent from FIG. 5, with this lock inlet region 5 being funnel shaped. It is also apparent that the free ends 20, 20 of the spring arms 18, 19 are seated in the assemblies 26 of the lock housing 3. Furthermore it is apparent that the round bow 17 connects to the spring arms 18, 19, connecting both spring arms 18, 19 to each other. It is also apparent that the spring arms 18, 19 rest closely and linearly against the cross bolt 12 and thus the locking bow 9 in particular in the region of the bent area 24, thus always producing the desired additional fixing to the rotary latch 4. This Figure also shows that the range of movement of the spring arms 18, 19 or of its free ends 20, 20 is restricted by the respectively formed assemblies 26 so that overloading of the spring plate 15 is not possible. FIG. 5 also shows that the entire spring plate 15 can be inserted into the respective assemblies 26 from the top. Where required, elastic plastic material 29 may be applied to the inside of the spring plate 15, in order to be able to simply absorb or buffer any shocks caused by the insertion of the locking bolt 10 into the lock housing 3. In this figure, too, the Z direction 37, transversely to the driving direction and the Y direction 36 are indicated.

(15) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the important parts of the lock 1 and the relationship of these components to each other. The figure shows the locking bow 9 with the locking bolt 10 and the supporting bolt 11 as well as the cross bolt 12 connecting the two bolts. Whilst the rotary latch 4 is pivoted or turned around the locking bolt 10 when closing the lock 1 in order to move the door 2 in the direction of the bodywork 8, the spring plate 15 in form of the clip 16, is pushed onto the locking bow 9 in direction 36, i.e. Y direction and, in particular onto its cross bolt 12, thus also enclosing the locking bolt 10. Using the spring arms 18, 19, the spring plate 15 now presses in the shown position and, in particular, in the region of the bent section 24 onto the cross bolt 12 in Z direction 37, so that the cross bolt 12 is enclosed and the door 2 can be advantageously additionally secured. Numeral 35 indicates the X direction, i.e. the driving direction, whilst Y or 36 represents the insertion direction in which the spring plate 15 is pushed onto the cross bolt 12.

(16) All described characteristics, including those only shown in the Figures, are on their own or in combination part of the invention.