Motor vehicle drive assembly

Abstract

A motor vehicle drive assembly, which is equipped with an electric motor and an output element, which is driven by the electric motor indirectly or directly. Furthermore, a spring associated with the output element is realized, which spring is designed to bidirectionally return the output element. According to the invention, the spring is designed as a spiral spring which is designed to be windable and unwindable proceeding both from the inner spring let and from the outer leg.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle drive assembly comprising: an electric motor; an output element which is driven about a pivot axis by the electric motor indirectly or directly; and a spring associated with the output element, the spring being configured for a bidirectional return of the output element, wherein the spring is a spiral spring that is windable from both an inner spring leg and an outer spring leg; a connected lever mounted on the pivot axis and engaged to the inner spring leg of the spring, wherein when the motor drives the output element in a first direction from a neutral position, the output element acts on the outer spring leg; and wherein when the motor drives the output element in a second direction from the neutral position, opposite the first direction, the output element acts on the connected lever, acting on the inner spring leg; and wherein when the motor stops acting on the outer element, tensioning created when the output element is in either first or second position, will move the output element back to the neutral position.

2. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connected lever has an opening for engagement of the inner spring leg.

3. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 2, wherein the connected lever is rotatably connected to the output element.

4. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein the output element has a contour interacting with the spiral spring.

5. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 4, wherein the contour and the spiral spring are arranged on a rear side of the output element.

6. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 5, wherein the output element has an operating contour arranged on a front side of the output element that opposes the rear side, wherein the operating contour is configured to engage a component of a motor vehicle locking mechanism.

7. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 4, wherein the contour can interact both with the outer spring leg of the spiral spring and with the connected lever engaged to the inner spring leg of the spiral spring.

8. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 7, wherein the contour engages the connected lever of the inner spring leg when the motor drives the output element in the second direction and the contour engages the outer spring leg when the motor drives the output element in the first direction.

9. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 8, wherein when the motor drives the output element in the second direction, the contour pivots the connected lever whereby the spring is tensioned from the inner spring leg and the outer spring leg is in an idle state, and wherein when the motor drives the output element in the first direction, the contour engages the outer spring leg whereby the outer spring leg is tensioned and the inner spring leg is in an idle state.

10. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 9 further comprising a first stop against which the outer spring leg engages when in the idle state and a second stop against which the inner spring leg engages when in the idle state.

11. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 4, wherein the contour has an arcuate shape and formed proximate an outer circumference of the output element.

12. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein the output element is a worm wheel.

13. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein the output element has an operating contour on a front side of the output element.

14. The motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 13, wherein the operating contour interacts with a further component of the motor vehicle door latch, wherein the further component includes a central locking lever, a release lever, a child safety lever, or an anti-theft lever.

15. A motor vehicle door latch having a locking mechanism and having a motor vehicle drive assembly according to claim 1.

16. The motor vehicle door latch according to claim 15, wherein the output element is configured to engage a component of the locking mechanism.

17. A motor vehicle drive assembly comprising: an electric motor; an output element which is driven by the electric motor indirectly or directly; and a spring associated with the output element, the spring being configured for a bidirectional return of the output element, wherein the spring is a spiral spring that is windable from both an inner spring leg and an outer spring leg, wherein the output element has a contour interacting with the spiral spring, wherein the contour can interact both with the outer spring leg of the spiral spring and with a connected lever of the inner spring leg of the spiral spring, and wherein the contour is rotatable between a first position in which the contour engages the connected lever engaged to the inner spring leg to tension the spring in a first direction away from a neutral position of the spring and a second position in which the contour engages the outer spring leg to tension the spring in a second direction away from the neutral position of the spring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings; in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the motor vehicle drive assembly according to the invention in an application in the interior of a motor vehicle door latch in a front view and

(3) FIG. 2 shows the subject matter of FIG. 1 in the associated rear view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) A motor vehicle drive assembly is shown in the figures. In the present case, the motor vehicle drive assembly is installed in a housing 1 of a motor vehicle door latch. This is of course only an example and is in no way restrictive.

(5) The motor vehicle door latch having the housing 1 indicated in FIG. 1 has conventional components in its interior such as a release lever 2 and a pawl 3 as part of a locking mechanism (not shown in detail). The motor vehicle drive assembly has an electric motor 4 as well as an output element 5 driven indirectly or directly with the aid of the electric motor 4.

(6) In the exemplary embodiment, the electric motor 4 provides a direct drive for the output element 5. For this purpose, the electric motor 4 has on the output side an output worm 6 on its output shaft, which meshes with a toothing (not shown in detail), on the output element 5 designed as a worm wheel 5. In this way, the worm wheel 5 can perform clockwise and counterclockwise rotational movements about its axis 7 indicated in FIG. 1, as indicated by a double arrow in FIG. 1. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the electric motor 4 drives the output element 5 only indirectly, for example via a transmission connected in between.

(7) A clockwise rotation of the worm wheel 5 ensures that an operating contour 8 arranged on the front side of the worm wheel 5 comes to abutment on the release lever 2 after completing an operating path indicated in FIG. 1. The further clockwise movement of the operating contour 8 then ensures that the release lever 2 is also pivoted clockwise about its axis indicated in FIG. 1, as shown by a further arrow in FIG. 1. The pivoting movement of the operating lever 2 has the effect that the pawl 3 is lifted from its engagement with a catch (not shown in detail). The associated locking mechanism arranged perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1 is opened. In other words, the illustrated motor vehicle drive assembly is implemented and used in the example of FIG. 1 for the “electrical opening” process of the motor vehicle door latch or its locking mechanism illustrated therein.

(8) Based on FIG. 2 with the associated rear view of the motor vehicle drive assembly already described above, it is clear that a spring 9 assigned to the output element 5 is also provided. The spring 9 is set up for the bidirectional return of the output element 5. In other words, the spring 9 ensures in both directions of rotation of the worm wheel 5, in principle indicated in FIG. 1, that—after the electric motor 4 no longer acts on the worm wheel 5—the worm wheel 5 is transferred to its neutral position or idle position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. For this purpose, the spring 9 is tensioned in both directions of rotation during a corresponding movement process. As soon as the electric motor 4 no longer acts on the worm wheel 5, the spring 9 can relax and ensures that the worm wheel 5 is returned to the neutral position or idle position shown in FIG. 1 when acted upon by a spring.

(9) According to the invention, the spring 9 is a spiral spring 9. The spiral spring 9 has an inner spring leg 9a and an outer spring leg 9b. In this way, the spiral spring 9 is windable both proceeding from the inner spring leg 9a and proceeding from the outer spring leg 9b, as will be explained in more detail below. In fact, the inner spring leg 9a of the spiral spring 9 has a connected lever 10. The lever 10 is equipped with an opening 10a, into which the inner spring leg 9a of the spiral spring 9 engages.

(10) The lever 10 is rotatably connected to the output element 5. Usually, the common axis 7 is used. Since the lever 10 engages over the spiral spring 9, the spiral spring 9 is held in the interstice between the output element 5 and the lever 10. In addition, the end of the inner spring leg 9a is secured in the opening 10a of the lever 10.

(11) The worm wheel 5 has a contour 11 which interacts with the spiral spring 9. The contour 11, like the spiral spring 9 and the lever 10, is located on the rear side of the worm wheel 5, whereas the operating contour 8 described above with reference to FIG. 1 is arranged on the front side of the worm wheel 5.

(12) The overall design is such that the contour 11 can interact both with the outer spring leg 9b of the spiral spring 9 and with the lever 10 and thus the inner spring leg 9a of the spiral spring 9. In the scope of the exemplary embodiment, the contour 11 is designed as an arcuate contour, the radius of which is adapted to the radius of the circular worm wheel 5.

(13) In this way, a counterclockwise and clockwise rotation of the worm wheel 5 indicated in FIG. 2 results in the contour 11 in question interacting with either the lever 10 and thus the inner spring leg 9a or the outer spring leg 9b of the spiral spring 9.

(14) If, for example, the worm wheel 5 according to the rear view of FIG. 2 is driven with the aid of the electric motor 4 so that it executes a counterclockwise movement, then the contour 11 ensures that the lever 10 is also pivoted counterclockwise. As a result of this, the spiral spring 9 is tensioned by being wound, proceeding from the inner spring leg 9a, and the lever 10 moves away from an associated stop 12. In contrast, the outer spring leg 9b remains in the idle state due to its abutment with a further associated stop 13.

(15) If, however, the worm wheel 5 is acted upon in a clockwise direction in the representation according to FIG. 2, the contour 11 works on the outer spring leg 9b and lifts it off the associated further stop 13. Subsequently, the inner spring leg 9a remains in the idle state via the lever 10 due to its abutment with the stop 12. In both cases, the spiral spring 9 is wound up both proceeding from the inner spring leg 9a and from the outer spring leg 9b and is tensioned as a result. As soon as the worm wheel 5 is no longer acted upon in the example shown, the spiral spring 9 can relax and the inner spring leg 9a or the connected lever 10 moves against the associated stop 12. The same applies to the outer spring leg 9b, which abuts against the associated stop 13 when the spiral spring 9 is relaxed.

(16) The worm wheel 5 on the one hand and the spiral spring 9 on the other hand are designed independently of one another. In other words, the spiral spring 9 is held in abutment with the output element or worm wheel 5 with the aid of the lever 10, for example, but is not coupled to the worm wheel 5 in any way. As a result, the spiral spring 9 can be wound up and unwound as described both proceeding from the inner spring leg 9a and from the outer spring leg 9b with the aid of the worm wheel 5 or the contour 11 attached to it.