LOCK FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, IN PARTICULAR HOOD OR HINGED-PANEL LOCK

Abstract

A hood lock for a motor vehicle comprising a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, a lock holder interacting with the locking mechanism, a release lever, the locked locking mechanism being able to be unlocked by means of the release lever, and the lock holder being transferable from a latching position into a support position after a first actuation, and the lock holder being transferable after a second actuation of the release lever into a release position, and a closing drive, wherein the locking mechanism can be moved by means of the closing drive from the support position into a main latching position, and wherein at least one position of the rotary latch can be detected by means of a switching means, and wherein at least one further switching means is provided for detecting the pawl position.

Claims

1. A hood lock for a motor vehicle, comprising: a locking mechanism having a rotary latch and at least one pawl, a lock holder interacting with the locking mechanism, a release lever, wherein the locking mechanism in a locked position is unlocked by the release lever, and wherein the lock holder is transferred after a first actuation from a latching position into a support position, and the lock holder being is moved into a release position after a second actuation of the release lever, a closing drive, a first switch, wherein the locking mechanism is moved by the closing drive from the support position into a main latching position, and at least one position of the rotary latch is detected by the first switch, and a second switch that detects a pawl position.

2. The hood lock according to claim 1, wherein the pawl is a two-armed pawl having a first arm and a second arm, wherein the main latching position is achieved in the locking mechanism by the first arm, and the support position is achieved in the locking mechanism by the second arm.

3. The hood lock according to either claim 1, wherein the pawl is actuated electrically via the release lever.

4. The hood lock according to claim 3, wherein the pawl position is indirectly determined via detecting a position of the release lever.

5. The hood lock according to claim 1, further comprising a control lever, wherein the pawl position is detected by the control lever.

6. The hood lock according to claim 5, wherein the control lever is brought into engagement with a contour on the rotary latch.

7. The hood lock according to claim 6, further comprising a closing lever, wherein the contour on the rotary latch is brought into engagement with the closing lever.

8. The hood lock according to claim 6, wherein the control lever is brought into engagement with at least one of the first switch and the second switch.

9. The hood lock according to claim 1, further comprising a closing lever and a reinforcement plate that supports the locking mechanism, wherein the closing lever is guided in the reinforcement plate.

10. The hood lock according to claim 5, wherein the release lever and the control lever are pivotably accommodated on an electrical component carrier.

11. The hood lock according to claim 6, wherein the contour is on a bolt of the rotary latch.

12. The hood lock according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission lever, wherein the transmission lever is in contact with the rotary latch in the main latching position and engages with the pawl when the rotary latch is released to an open position to position the pawl when the rotary latch is in the open position.

13. The hood lock according to claim 7, further comprising a spring element, wherein in the main latching position the control lever is preloaded by the spring element to the contour on the rotary latch.

14. The hood lock according to claim 1, further comprising a positioner and a tension spring that provides a force on the lock holder in an opening direction.

15. The hood lock according to claim 1, further comprising a closing lever, wherein the closing drive includes an electromotive drive and a drive lever that acts on the closing lever.

16. The hood lock according to claim 1, further comprising a third switch that is actuated by the release lever.

Description

[0027] In the figures:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a side view of a hood lock designed according to the invention, in a main latching position,

[0029] FIG. 2 is a detail view according to arrow II from FIG. 1, the control lever being shown as a sectional view, and

[0030] FIG. 3 is a view of a rear side of the hood lock according to FIG. 1, in a view of the electrical component carrier.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle lock 1 in a plan view of a locking mechanism 3 comprising a rotary latch 3 and a pawl 4. The hood lock 1 is shown in a main latching position in which a lock holder 5 is held by means of the rotary latch 3, such that in principle a closed hood would be present. The main lock further comprises a lock case 6, a closing drive 7, an electrical component carrier 8, a control lever 9, a release lever 10, a transmission lever 11, a positioner 12 and a spring element 13.

[0032] The hood lock 1 is shown in a main latching position, the pawl 4 resting against a main latch 14 of the rotary latch 3 or the pawl 4 being in engagement with the rotary latch 3. In this main latching position, the control lever 9 is preloaded counter to a contour 16 on the rotary latch 3 by means of a spring element 15. In this embodiment, the contour 16 is takes the form of a bolt on the rotary latch 3. The release lever 10 interacts with the rotary latch 4, and in particular a guide bolt 18, with the pawl 4 via a guide 17. The release lever 10 is in turn accommodated pivotably via a shaft 19 in the electrical component carrier 8 and can be moved in the counterclockwise direction in a manner driven by an electric motor. In order to move the release lever 10, a drive element 20 engages on an extension 21 of the pawl 4 and moves the release lever 10 in the counterclockwise direction. The drive element 20 can be moved, for example, via a linear motor, such that a pivoting movement can be introduced into the pawl.

[0033] The positioner 12 rests on the lock holder 5 in a manner spring-preloaded by the tension spring 13, such that a force acts on the lock holder 5 in the opening direction of the rotary latch. For this purpose, the spring 13 is preferably takes the form of a tension coil spring. The spring 13 is fastened at one end to the lock case 6 and, at the opposite end, the coil spring engages in the positioner.

[0034] The closing drive 7 is shown in the non-actuated state, i.e. a closing lever 22 is disengaged from the contour 16. In order to guide the closing lever 22, a guide bolt 23 can be guided in a reinforcing plate (not shown). The closing drive 7 further comprises a drive lever 23, the drive lever 23 being accommodated pivotably in the lock case via a shaft 24. The closing lever 22 can be actuated by means of an electromotive drive and in particular an electric motor-actuated Bowden cable 24. For this purpose, the Bowden cable moves in the direction of the arrow P and pivots the drive lever 23 such that the closing lever 22 can engage with the bolt 16 on the rotary latch 3.

[0035] For further explanation of the control-related design of the hood lock 1, the hood lock 1 has three microswitches 25, 26, 27. In the main latching position shown, all the microswitches 25, 26, 27 are unactuated, as a result of which a clear position of the pawl 4 and of the rotary latch 3 can be detected. In order to actuate the microswitches 25, 26, 27, the release lever 10 and the control lever 9 can be pivoted about the shaft 19, 28, the release lever 10 preferably being moved via the guide bolt 18, whereas the control lever 9 follows the movement of the rotary latch 3 via the leg spring 15.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a part of the electrical component carrier 8, the control lever 9 being shown cut away in regions, such that the position of the microswitches 26, 27 below the control lever 9 can be seen. Both microswitches are present unactuated, as also shown in FIG. 1.

[0037] FIG. 3 now shows a rear view of the hood lock 1 from the perspective of the electrical component carrier 8 and without the lock case 6. The electrical component carrier 8 comprises conductor tracks 29 and a plug 30. The electrical component carrier 8 is shown transparently, such that the microswitches 25, 26, 27 can be seen and the interaction between microswitches 25, 26, 27 and the control lever 9 and the release lever 10 can be explained. A control contour 31, 32 is shown in each case on the control lever 9 and on the release lever 10. A control contour 32 is arranged on the release lever 10, such that a movement of the release lever 10 in the direction of the arrow P1 leads to an actuation of the microswitch 25. If the plastic-like extension 21 on the metal pawl 4 is actuated, the release lever 10 pivots in the direction of the arrow P1 and the control contour 32 comes into engagement with the microswitch 25. The control contour 32 then actuates the microswitch, such that a clear signal relating to the position of the pawl 4 can be detected. If the rotary latch 3 is released by the pawl 4, the control lever 9 likewise moves, specifically in the direction of the arrow P2, in the counterclockwise direction. The movement of the control lever 9 in the direction of the arrow P2 first causes the microswitch 26 to be actuated, specifically by means of the control contour 31, such that the support position or the pre-latching position of the rotary latch 3 can be identified or detected.

[0038] If the pawl 4 is now actuated a second time, the rotary latch reaches the open position from the pre-latching position or the support position, and the control lever follows the movement of the rotary latch. The control lever is moved further in the direction of the arrow P2, such that the microswitch 27 also comes into engagement with the control contour 31. The second microswitch 27 is now also actuated, and a clear position of the rotary latch position can be detected. In the fully open position of the rotary latch 3, the pawl 4 is also kept out of engagement with the pawl 3 by means of the transmission lever 11, the contour 33 of the transmission lever 11 coming into engagement with a latching surface 34 on the plastic cladding 21 of the pawl 4. For this purpose, the transmission lever 11 is spring-preloaded against the rotary latch 3 by means of a spring element 35. When the rotary latch 3 is closed, the rotary latch 3 moves the transmission lever 11 out of engagement with the latching contour 34 again, such that the pawl 4 can again enter the rotary latch 3. The actuation of the microswitches 25, 26, 27 then takes place in the reverse order, such that the latching positions, pre-latching or support position and main latch can again be detected and can be forwarded via the electrical component carrier 8 and the plug element 30 to a higher-level controller 36. When the pre-latching position is reached in the closing process, the closing drive 7 can then be actuated and the rotary latch 3 can be transferred from the support position or pre-latching position into the main latching position.

[0039] By means of the microswitches 25, 26, 27 and the interaction between the control lever 9, the release lever 10 and the rotationally movable mounting of the control lever 9 and the release lever 10, a clear assignment of the position of the locking mechanism 2 can be detected and a secure closing and opening of the hood lock 1 can thus be realized.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0040] 1 hood lock [0041] 2 locking mechanism [0042] 3 rotary latch [0043] 4 pawl [0044] 5 lock holder [0045] 6 lock case [0046] 7 closing drive [0047] 8 electrical component carrier [0048] 9 control lever [0049] 10 release lever [0050] 11 transmission lever [0051] 12 positioner [0052] 13, 15, 35 spring element [0053] 14 main latch [0054] 16, 33 contour [0055] 17 guide [0056] 18,23 guide bolt [0057] 19, 24, 28 shaft [0058] 20 drive element [0059] 21 extension [0060] 22 closing lever [0061] 23 drive lever [0062] 24 Bowden cable [0063] 25, 26, 27 microswitch [0064] 29 conductor track [0065] 30 plug [0066] 31,32 control contour [0067] 10 34 latching surface [0068] 36 controller [0069] P, P1 arrow