MOTOR VEHICLE LOCK, IN PARTICULAR MOTOR VEHICLE SIDE DOOR LOCK

Abstract

A motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle side door lock, which is equipped with a locking mechanism composed, essentially, of a rotary latch and a pawl. Also comprising an actuating lever for the locking mechanism and a release lever for the pawl. Both levers can be coupled and uncoupled to/from each other by means of a coupling lever. A mass inertia element which uncouples the coupling lever at least in the event of a crash is also provided. According to the invention, the clutch lever is actuated in normal operation at least slightly with respect to its bearing whenever the actuating lever is acted upon.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle lock comprising: a locking mechanism including a rotary latch and a pawl, an actuating lever for the locking mechanism and a release lever for the pawl, wherein the actuating lever acts on the release lever to release the pawl, a coupling lever having a bearing, wherein the actuating lever and the release lever are coupled and uncoupled to/from each other by the coupling lever, and a mass inertia element which uncouples the coupling lever at least in the event of a crash, wherein the coupling lever is actuated in a normal operation at least slightly with respect to the bearing whenever the actuating lever is acted upon.

2. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, wherein the release lever has a control contour for actuating the coupling lever in the normal operation.

3. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 2, wherein the control contour transitions into a stop for the coupling lever in an actuating direction of the actuating lever in the normal operation.

4. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 2, wherein the control contour is arranged in a region of a clearance between the actuating lever and the release lever.

5. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 4, wherein the clearance is adjusted during a lock assembly.

6. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, wherein the coupling lever is mounted on top of or on the actuating lever.

7. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, further comprising a control lever, wherein the control lever interacts with the coupling lever and is engaged with the mass inertia element.

8. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 7, wherein the control lever has a guide curve for interacting with the coupling lever.

9. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 8, wherein the coupling lever includes a guide pin that engages with the guide curve.

10. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, wherein the control lever is guided in a control contour of the mass inertia element.

11. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, wherein the actuating lever and the release lever are mounted on a common shaft.

12. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 7, wherein the control lever, the actuating lever, and the release lever are mounted on a common shaft.

Description

[0020] The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to drawings which show only one exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:

[0021] FIG. 1 is an overview of the motor vehicle lock according to the invention in normal operation;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows the object according to FIG. 1 in detail in normal operation; and

[0023] FIG. 3 shows the object according to FIG. 2 in the event of a crash.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle lock which, within the scope of the exemplary embodiment, is a motor vehicle side door lock. In its basic structure, said latch has a locking mechanism 1, 2 consisting essentially of a rotary latch 1 and a pawl 2. It can be seen that the locking mechanism 1, 2 or the rotary latch 1 and also the pawl 2 are each mounted jointly in a lock case 3 shown only in FIG. 1. With the help of the locking mechanism 1, 2, a locking pin 3 (only indicated in FIG. 1) is captured, which in the exemplary embodiment is connected to a motor vehicle side door (not shown in detail).

[0025] The basic structure also includes an actuating lever 4 for the locking mechanism 1, 2, which, according to the exemplary embodiment, is an external actuating lever. For this purpose, the actuating lever 4 or external actuating lever is connected to an external actuating lever chain, which may terminate, for example, in an external door handle. Opening movements of the locking mechanism 1, 2 now result in the actuating lever 4 or external actuating lever being acted upon about its shaft 5 in normal operation in the clockwise direction indicated in FIG. 2. It is necessary for the actuating lever 4 to act upon a release lever 6 for the locking mechanism 1, 2, so that the locking mechanism 1, 2 can be opened during this process.

[0026] For this purpose, the release lever 6 is mounted on the same shaft as the actuating lever 4 on the common shaft 5. In addition, the release lever 6 has an actuating contour 6a, which is moved upward as shown in the opening movement described and in FIG. 2. As a result, the pawl 2 in the closed position is lifted directly or indirectly from its engagement with the rotary latch 1. As a result of this, the previously captured locking pin 3 is released. The associated motor vehicle side door (not shown) that is connected to the locking pin 3 can be opened in the example.

[0027] In the example, a coupling lever 7 provides the mechanical connection between the actuating lever 4 and the release lever 6. In fact, the two levers 4, 6 can be coupled and uncoupled to/from each other by the coupling lever 7 in question. The coupled state is shown in FIG. 2, whereas, in the crash situation according to FIG. 3, the coupling lever 7 has assumed its uncoupled position.

[0028] It can be seen that the coupling lever 7 is mounted on top of or on the actuating lever 4. For this purpose, the coupling lever 7 has a shaft 8. In addition, the coupling lever 7 is equipped with a guide pin 9. The coupling lever 7 engages with a guide curve 10 via the guide pin 9. The guide curve 10 is located in a control lever 11. The control lever 11 is mounted on the same shaft as the actuating lever 4 and release lever 6 in the common shaft 5.

[0029] The control lever 11 interacts not only with the coupling lever 7, because the guide pin 9 of the coupling lever 7 engages with the guide curve 10 of the control lever 11. But rather, the design is also such that the control lever 11 also interacts with a mass inertia element 12 that is only indicated in FIG. 3. For this purpose, the control lever 11 engages with a control contour of the mass inertia element 12 that is not shown in detail. The mass inertia element 12 ensures—as shown in FIG. 3 to be described in more detail below, and in the event of a crash—that the coupling lever 7 is uncoupled.

[0030] In normal operation, the shaft-remote end 7a of the coupling lever 7 moves against a stop 13 on the release lever 6. As soon as the shaft-remote end 7a of the coupling lever 7 abuts against the stop 13 of the release lever 6, the actuating lever 4 and the release lever 6 are connected to each other in a quasi-rigid manner via the coupling lever 7, so that the opening movement of the actuating lever 4 shown in FIG. 2 is transferred clockwise directly to the release lever 6. As a result of this, the release lever 6 moves upward with its actuating contour 6a and then ensures, as desired, that the pawl 2 is lifted from its engagement with the rotary latch 1. The associated motor vehicle lock is opened.

[0031] Before the shaft-remote end of the coupling lever 7 reaches the stop 13 in question on the release lever 6, the coupling lever 7 also performs a relative movement in its bearing 8. Because, when the actuating lever 4 is acted upon in a clockwise direction corresponding to normal operation according to FIG. 2, the shaft-remote end 7a of the coupling lever 7 moves along a control contour 14 on the release lever 6. As a result, the coupling lever 7 is actively actuated in normal operation at least slightly with respect to its bearing 8 whenever the actuating lever 4 is acted upon, namely pivoted counterclockwise about its shaft 8. This means that the control contour 14 ensures that the coupling lever 7 in the exemplary embodiment and according to the illustration in FIG. 2 is pivoted slightly counterclockwise with respect to its bearing 8. As a result, the control lever 11 and with it the mass inertia element 12 also experience a slight pivoting movement, so that any malfunctions are effectively counteracted in this way.

[0032] Overall, however, the design is such that the control contour 14 transitions into the stop 13 in question for the coupling lever 7 in the clockwise actuating direction of the actuating lever 4 and in normal operation. In addition, the design is such that the control contour 14 in question is arranged in the region of a clearance A between the actuating lever 4 and the release lever 6. This clearance A between the two levers 4, 6 can be adjusted, for example, during a lock assembly.

[0033] The mode of operation is as follows. In normal operation according to FIG. 2, the previously mentioned clockwise actuation of the actuating lever 4 ensures that the coupling lever 7 first slides along the control contour 14 with its shaft-remote end 7a and then reaches the stop 13 on the release lever 6. Following this, both levers 4, 6 are coupled to each other in a quasi-rigid manner, so that—as described—the clockwise movement of the actuating lever 4 causes the pawl 2 to be lifted from its engagement with the rotary latch 1, 2. The associated motor vehicle lock is opened.

[0034] In the event of a crash according to FIG. 3, however, the mass inertia element 12 now ensures that the coupling lever 7 is uncoupled. Because, in the event of a crash, the mass inertia element 12 ensures via the control lever 11 that the guide pin 9 of the coupling lever 7 is moved along the guide curve 10, and the result is that the coupling lever 7 is pivoted counterclockwise about its shaft 8. In this context, the control lever 11 is pivoted counterclockwise about its shaft 5, starting from FIG. 2. As a result, the coupling lever 7 is disengaged from the stop 13 of the release lever 6, so that the coupling lever 7 is uncoupled overall. If, in this functional state, the actuating lever 4 is acted upon in a clockwise opening direction as a result of a crash, this movement of the actuating lever 4 is not transferred to the release lever 6.

[0035] Rather, the release lever 6 remains at rest and cannot act on the locking mechanism 1, 2. Consequently, the locking mechanism 1, 2 also remains in its initial position, which then also applies to the motor vehicle side door and its locking pin 3 captured in the locking mechanism 1, 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0036] 1 Catch [0037] 2 Pawl [0038] 3 Locking pin [0039] 4 Actuating lever [0040] 5 Shaft [0041] 6 Release lever [0042] 6a Actuating contour [0043] 7 Coupling lever [0044] 7a Shaft-remote end [0045] 8 Shaft [0046] 9 Guide pin [0047] 10 Guide curve [0048] 11 Control lever [0049] 12 Mass inertia element [0050] 13 Stop [0051] 14 Control contour