Lock having a modified spring lip for motor vehicle doors

Abstract

The invention relates to a lock for a motor vehicle or a building, said lock being equipped with a rotary latch (2) rotatably supported in the lock housing (10) about a locking bolt (3), wherein the lock housing (10) has a slotted guide (8) for the locking bolt (3), said slotted guide having at least one spring lip (15) on the insertion side, which spring lip reaches into the slotted guide and cushions the locking bolt (3), said spring lip having creaking protection (17) that partially covers the surface (16) of the spring lip, wherein the spring lip (15) has a bounding bead (20) at the free end (18) and wherein the creaking protection (17) is designed as a sheet metal clamp (21) that can be attached to the spring lip (15) in front of the bounding bead with a preload.

Claims

1. Lock for a motor vehicle or a building, said lock being equipped with a rotary latch (2) rotatably supported in the lock housing (10) about a locking bolt (3), wherein the lock housing (10) has a slotted guide (8) for the locking bolt (3), said slotted guide having at least one spring lip (15) on the insertion side, which spring lip reaches into the slotted guide and cushions the locking bolt (3) said spring lip having creaking protection (17) that partially covers the surface, characterised in that die spring lip (15) has a bounding bead (20) at its free end (18) and wherein the creaking protection (17) is designed as a metal clamp (21) that can be attached to the spring lip (15) in front of the bounding bead with a preload.

2. Lock according to claim 1, characterised in that the spring lip (15) is formed to provide a seat area (22) for the metal clamp (21) and has a respective smaller cross section in said seat area (22).

3. Lock according to one of the above claims, characterised in that the metal clamp (21) contains two flexible flanks (24, 25).

4. Lock according to claim 2, characterised in that the seat area (22) of the metal clamp (21) is restricted on one hand by the bounding bead (20) at the end and on the other hand, in the direction of the fixing point (26) by edge (27) arranged at the lock housing (10).

5. Lock according to one of the above claims, characterised in that the metal clamp (21) contains engaging edges (29, 30) bent away at both sides at the open end (28).

6. Lock according to one of the above claims, characterised in that the spring lip (15) in the seat area (22) of the metal clamp (21) contains a recess (32, 33) on both sides, dimensioned according to the metal thickness on the back (34) of the metal clamp (21) and, at the open end (28) according to the engaging edges (29, 30).

7. Lock according to one of the above claims, characterised in that one flank (25) of the metal clamp (21) narrows towards the open end (28).

8. Lock according to claim 7, characterised in that the flank (25) having a different width has a full width in the top third (35) starting from the back (34) and a width preferably reduced to 66% in the two remaining thirds (36) resulting in a centre web (37).

9. Lock according to claim 7, characterised in that the flank (24) of the metal clamp (21) with the width extending unchanged up to the open end (28) is arranged on the side (38) facing the locking bolt (3) of the spring lip (15).

10. Lock according to one of the above claims, characterised in that the spring lip (15) in the seat area (22) of the back (34) of the metal clamp (21) contains a longitudinal groove (39) and the metal clamp (21) a corresponding bead (41).

11. Lock according to one or several of the above claims, characterised in that the metal clamp (21) is made from thin-walled stainless steel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further details and advantages provided by the invention are provided in the below description relating to the respective drawings, showing a preferred embodiment with the required details and spare parts, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a top view onto a simplified version of the lock,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a partial view with the spring lip not covered,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a partial view with a covered spring lip,

(5) FIG. 4 shows an individual view of the spring lip without metal clamp,

(6) FIG. 5 shows the spring lip of FIG. 4 with clipped-on metal clamp,

(7) FIG. 6 shows an individual perspective view of the spring lip and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a sectional cut through the spring lip and metal clamp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a lock 1, in this case a motor vehicle lock, equipped with a locking mechanism 6 comprising a rotary latch 2 and pawl 4. The rotary latch 2 containing an infeed section 7 encloses the locking bolt 3 in the shown closed position and can be pivoted around the pivot axis 5. To secure this position, the pawl 4 has been pivoted in such a way that its projection 11 abuts against the rotary latch 2 and that in the area of a recess a specific and precisely defined contact area is created, preventing the rotary latch 2 from pivoting back. All parts of this lock are arranged in the lock housing 10 containing a slotted guide 8 for the locking bolt 3 whose entry side is identified by numeral 9.

(10) The rotary latch 2 generally has a plastic cover, with the contact area of the rotary latch 2 generally being kept away from the cover by means of the locking bolt 3, allowing a metal-to-metal contact to be produced, when the pawl 4 has been engaged. The pawl 4 can also have such a cover.

(11) The exact position of the spring lip 15 described below is not shown in FIG. 1. Its seat is only indicated by the dashed/dotted line.

(12) FIG. 2 shows the seat of the spring lip 15 within the slotted guide 8. The figure shows that the end section of the slotted guide 8 forms a semi circle and that the spring lip 15 projects into this semi circle. The end of the spring lip is fixed to the lock housing 10 and is flexible. A recess is indicated at the free end 18 of the spring lip 15, which is explained below and which serves to accommodate a so-called creaking protection 17, covering the surface 16 of the spring lip 15 in this area.

(13) The figure shows a bounding bead 20 representing the absolute end section of the spring lip 15. FIG. 2 does, however, not show said creaking protection 17, which is shown in FIG. 3. In this figure, the creaking protection 17 consisting of a metal clamp 21, is pushed onto the seat area also shown in FIG. 2. Further details of this metal clamp 21 are shown in the other figures. The numeral 26 indicates the fixing point of the spring lip 15 at the lock housing 10.

(14) FIG. 4 shows a separate view of the spring lip 15. The figure shows that a bounding bead 20 is formed at the free end 18 of the spring lip 15, which together with edge 27 ensures that once the metal clamp 21 has been slid on, said clamp retains its assumed seat even under respective loading from locking bolt 3.

(15) To facilitate installation or sliding on of the metal clamp 21 the clamp contains two flexible flanks 24, 25 with engaging edges 29, 30 being formed at the end of these flanks 24, 25, i.e. at the open end 28 of the metal clamp 21. The exact shape of said edges is shown in FIG. 6 from where it is clearly apparent that they are bent outwards in such a way that sliding of the metal clamp 21 onto the spring lip 15 in the seat area 22 is facilitated considerably.

(16) A particular embodiment of the metal clamp 21 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. One flank 24 has a continuous same width, whilst the other flank 25 in the top third 35 has the same width, but is narrower in the two remaining thirds 36 resulting in the formation of a web 37, favourably affecting the spring force for sliding on the clamp.

(17) It has already been mentioned that FIG. 4 shows the spring lip 15 before the metal clamp 21 is slid on. The figure shows a top recess 32 and a bottom recess 33. This results in a continuous sliding surface 31 for the locking bolt 3 when, during the closing operation of the lock 1, the locking bolt is guided along spring lip 15 and by said lip into the slotted guide 8 and then into the infeed section 7 of the rotary latch 2. The recesses 32, 33 and the reduced cross section in the seat area 22 achieve that the locking bolt 3 is slid along the spring lip 15 without any hindrance with said spring lip 15 being in close contact and ensuring that the locking bolt 3 is guided to the wall of the rotary latch 2 and positioned against it.

(18) FIG. 7 lastly shows a cross section of the spring lip 15 in the seat area 22 of the metal clamp 21, from which it is apparent that the back 34 of the spring lip 15 contains a longitudinal groove 39. This longitudinal groove 39 is cut into the top edge 40 of the spring lip 15. A corresponding bead 41 is formed in the metal clamp 21. This special arrangement also ensures the exact and, in particular, the exactly retained seat of the metal clamp 21 and it should lastly be pointed out again that the side 38 of the metal clamp 21 facing the locking bolt 3 is the side with the continuous flank 24.

(19) All aforementioned characteristics including those only shown in the drawings are on their own and together regarded as important aspects of the invention.