Motor vehicle lock with automatic relubrication

Abstract

A lock which operates reliably and quietly has a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one ratchet pawl for latching the rotary latch. The lock comprises two faces which at least partially bear one against the other and which are at least recurrently displaced relative to one another, with the result that that the displacement causes frictional forces to occur between the faces. At least one frictional face is part of a rotatable component of the lock. A lubricant reservoir is assigned to this rotatable component. There is a feeding means from the lubricant reservoir to the frictional face, which means is configured in such a way that the lubricant is transported from the lubricant reservoir to the frictional face of the rotatable component.

Claims

1. A lock comprising a locking mechanism mounted on a lock housing, the locking mechanism comprising: a rotary latch having a base unit and a frictional face; a pawl for latching the rotary latch and having a frictional face that is engageable with the frictional face of the rotary latch for frictional contact therebetween; a lubricant reservoir that is spaced from the frictional face of the rotary latch by the base unit of the rotary latch; and a feed means that includes a channel or extensive surface that extends along the base unit of the rotary latch for feeding lubricant from the lubricant reservoir and across the base unit of the rotary latch to the frictional face of the rotary latch.

2. The lock according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the lubricant reservoir and an axis of rotation of the rotary latch is smaller than a distance between the frictional face of the rotary latch and the axis of rotation.

3. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant reservoir is part of the rotary latch and/or the feed means is part of the rotary latch.

4. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the feed means extends along the shortest route between the lubricant reservoir and the frictional face of the rotary latch.

5. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the frictional face of one or both of the rotary latch and the pawl is made of metal.

6. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the rotary latch includes a coating that coats the base unit, and the feed means extends between the base unit and the coating of the base unit.

7. The lock according to claim 6, wherein the base unit is made of metal and the coating is made of plastic.

8. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the feed means contains a capillary.

9. The lock according to claim 1, wherein grease or oil is used as the lubricant within the lubricant reservoir.

10. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the frictional face of the rotary latch is a blocking face.

11. A method for the operation of a lock according to claim 1, in which the lubricant is transported from the lubricant reservoir to the frictional face of the rotary latch as a result of the rotation movements of the rotary latch, adhesion forces, cohesion forces, and/or as a result of spreading.

12. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant reservoir abuts against the base unit of the rotary latch when the lubricant is fed from the lubricant reservoir to the frictional face of the rotary latch.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2,

(2) in which

(3) FIG. 1 shows a rotary latch for a locking mechanism

(4) FIG. 2: shows a locking mechanism in the main catch position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a top view onto a rotary latch 1, i.e. onto a rotatable component of a lock for a motor vehicle. The rotary latch 1 contains a lubricant reservoir 2 and a feed means 3. A hole 4 is provided next to the lubricant reservoir 2 for rotatable mounting of the rotary latch 1. An axle extends through the hole 4 which is secured on a lock plate of the locknot shown.

(6) Apart from a preferable single-part continuous plastic coating 5, all of the base unit 6 of the rotary latch is made of metal. The lubricant reservoir 2 and the feed means 3 are arranged beneath the plastic coating 5, i.e. between the metal base unit 6 and the plastic coating 5. The lubricant reservoir 2 and feed means 3 are therefore only indicated by dashed lines. The feed means 3 is shown as a small channel area. A feed means 3 can, however, also contain a large area.

(7) The plastic coating 5 extends from the shown top across the lateral contour of the rotary latch 1 up to the bottom and covers the bottom of the rotary latch in the same way as the top.

(8) The rotary latch 1 contains a blocking face 7 made of metal and which is not coated by plastic. This blocking face 7 serves for latching the rotary latch 1 in the main catch position as shown in FIG. 2. A metal blocking face 8 serves for latching the rotary latch 1 in the auxiliary catch position. The feed means 3 leads to the blocking face 7. As a result of rotary movements of the rotary latch 1 and/or due to spreading, adhesion or cohesion, lubricant such as grease is transported from the reservoir 2 through the feed means 3 to the blocking face 7. The grease emerges in this area between the coating 5 and the metal base unit 6 and then arrives at the blocking face 7, being a frictional face in the sense of the present invention. Alternatively or in addition, a feed means can lead from reservoir 2 to the blocking face 8.

(9) The rotary latch contains an inlet slot 9, into which a striker engages when an associated door or tailgate is closed. As a result of the closing, a striker or locking bolt rotates the rotary latch from an open position to a closing position, in which the rotary latch is locked by a pawl.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a locking mechanism including a rotary latch 1 of the invention and a pawl 10 in the main catch position. The rotary latch 1 and the pawl 10 are rotatably mounted on a lock plate 11. The lock plate 11 contains an infeed means section 12 into which a locking bolt or striker 13 can be moved. In FIG. 2 the locking bolt 13 is retained by rotary latch 1 so that the locking bolt 13 can no longer leave the locking mechanism.

(11) If the pawl 10 is moved around its axis 14 in counterclockwise direction, the blocking face 7 of the rotary latch glides over the blocking face 15 of the pawl 10. Finally the pawl 10 leaves its latching position releasing rotary latch 1. The rotary latch 1 can then be pivoted in counterclockwise direction into its opened position. The locking bolt 13 can then leave the locking mechanism and a respective door or tailgate can be opened.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(12) 1 Rotary latch 2 Lubricant reservoir 3 Feed means 4 Hole 5 Plastic coating 6 Base unit of rotary latch 7 Main blocking face 8 Initial blocking face 9 Inlet slot 10 Pawl 11 Lock plate 12 Inlet section 13 Lock housing 14 Axle of pawl 15 Pawl-blocking face