MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK

Abstract

The object of the invention is a motor vehicle door lock that is equipped with a lock housing (4), also with a lock cylinder nut (3) supported in the lock housing (4), and at least one locking element (9) that can be acted upon by the lock cylinder nut (3) via a positioning element (8). According to the invention, the lock cylinder nut (3) has a connected eccentric element (6). Said eccentric element (6) engages in an eccentric mounting (7) of positioning element (8) in order to displace it.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle door lock having a lock housing, also with a lock cylinder nut supported in the lock housing, and having at least one locking element that can be acted upon by the lock cylinder nut via a positioning element, wherein the lock cylinder nut has a connected eccentric element that engages in an eccentric mounting of positioning element in order to displace it.

2. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the eccentric element is conformed on the lock cylinder nut.

3. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the eccentric element is designed as a cam.

4. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the positioning element is designed as a linearly movable lock slider.

5. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the positioning element has the eccentric mounting and one end thereof and an actuating pin at the other end.

6. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 5, wherein the positioning element and the actuating pin thereof engages in a pin receiving hole of locking element.

7. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 6, wherein the pin receiving hole has a radial offset relative to an axis of rotation of the locking element in the locking element.

8. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the positioning element clasps below the locking element.

9. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the eccentric mounting has a U-shaped cross section.

10. The motor vehicle door lock according to claim 1, wherein the eccentric element moves to a neutral position of each positioning movement.

Description

[0026] In the following, the invention will be explained in greater detail with reference to a drawing representing an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In the drawing:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the motor vehicle door lock according to the invention in the “locked” function position,

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the motor vehicle door lock of FIG. 1 in the “neutral” position,

[0029] FIG. 3 shows the object of FIGS. 1 and 2 in the a perspective view of the motor vehicle door lock in the “unlocked” function position.

[0030] The figures represent a motor vehicle door lock. The motor vehicle door lock is typically located on the inside of a motor vehicle door—not shown here. The motor vehicle door is typically a motor vehicle side door and particularly a driver's door or a front passenger's door, and is equipped with a lock cylinder 1 for unlocking/locking with the aid of mechanical key, for example.

[0031] Lock cylinder 1, which is only shown in outline in FIG. 1, is coupled mechanically with a lock cylinder nut 3 via a mechanical connecting device 2. In the example shown, mechanical connecting device 2 is a rod or adjusting rod that transfers rotary movements of lock cylinder 1 to lock cylinder nut 3.

[0032] Lock cylinder nut 3 is supported rotatably in a lock housing 4. For this purpose, lock cylinder nut 3 engages in a corresponding rotary bearing mounting 5 in lock housing 4. According to the invention, lock cylinder nut 3 is furnished with a connected eccentric element 6. In the embodiment shown, eccentric element 6 is a cam 6 that is conformed with lock cylinder nut 3. This means that in the embodiment shown cam 6 and lock cylinder nut 3 form an integral component 3, 6. Integral component 3, 6 may have the form of a plastic injection moulded part.

[0033] The eccentric element or cam 6 is held in place in an eccentric mounting 7. Eccentric mounting 7 is part of positioning element 8. Lock cylinder nut 3 acts on a locking element 9 via positioning element 8. Locking element 9 may be a central locking element. Locking element 9 is mounted rotatably about an axis or axis of rotation 10 in lock housing 4.

[0034] In order to displace positioning element 8, lock cylinder nut 3 and the eccentric element 6 connected thereto engages in eccentric mounting 7 of positioning element 8. In the present arrangement, positioning element 8 is designed as a lock slider 8 that is capable of linear movement. The linear movements of lock slider 8 are indicated by a double-headed arrow in FIG. 1. These enable locking element 9 to move to the “locked” function position shown in FIG. 1, as well as the “unlocked” function position shown in FIG. 3. Finally, the “neutral position” of locking element 9 is shown in FIG. 2.

[0035] Eccentric mounting 7 is located on one end of the positioning element or linearly movable lock slider 8. An actuating pin 11 is provided on the other end. Actuating pin 11 engages in a pin receiving hole 12 in locking element 9. It will be seen that pin receiving hole 12 in locking element 9 for accommodating actuating pin 11 is arranged with a radial offset relative to axis of rotation 10 of locking element 9. Consequently, the linear adjustment movement of positioning element or lock slider 8 indicated in FIG. 1 by a double-headed arrow causes corresponding rotating movements of locking element 9 relative to axis of rotation 10. This is also indicated in FIG. 1 by a double-headed arrow.

[0036] As is also shown, positioning element 8 clasps locking element 9 from below. Consequently, actuating pin 11 protrudes into pin receiving hole 12 of locking element 9 from below. In this way, the positioning element or lock slider 8 is guided along the bottom of lock housing 4. Lock housing 4 serves as an additional guide for positioning element or lock slider 8. Positioning element or lock slider 8 also moves in an intermediate space between the bottom of lock housing 4 and an underside of locking element 9.

[0037] This means that the upper side of locking element 9 is free from any components or elements of the manual locking device described previously. Thus, a motorised drive—not shown here—may be installed above locking element 9, so that motorised displacement of locking element 9 is then possible, and explicitly permitted, independently of the manual displacement described earlier. For the motorised displacement of locking element 9, an electric motor can engage either directly, or typically via intermediate elements such as an eccentric element, in a mounting 13 in locking element 9. Mounting 13 may be an eccentric mounting, which interacts with an eccentric element driven by the motorised drive to rotate locking element 9.

[0038] The design of the motorised drive and eccentric element and the associated mounting 13 or eccentric mounting 13 in locking element 9 may be similar or comparable, as described in patent DE 199 433 483 A1, which is held by the applicant. At all events, locking element 9 respective the motor vehicle door lock as a whole may also be moved to the “locked” function position shown in FIG. 1 and the “unlocked” function position shown in FIG. 3 with the aid of the motorised drive—not shown—regardless of any actuation of lock cylinder 1.

[0039] Eccentric mounting 7 has a U-shaped cross-section. In fact, eccentric mounting 7 has two opposing legs 7a forming a “U” shape. The two U-shaped legs 7a each define limit and sliding surfaces for the eccentric element or cam 6. Also, it is configured such that the two U-shaped legs 7a face each other and are at a distance from each other, defining a clear span W of eccentric mounting 7 that is adapted to the maximum extension of eccentric element 6 inside eccentric mounting 7. This maximum extension of eccentric element 6 inside eccentric mounting 7 is assumed either in the “locked” position according to FIG. 1 or in the “unlocked” position according to FIG. 3.

[0040] On the other hand, FIG. 2 corresponds to the “neutral position”. In this neutral position, eccentric element 6 is still in contact with both U-shaped legs 7a of eccentric mounting 7. This enables locking element 9 to move from the “neutral position” shown in FIG. 2 either to the “locked” function position of FIG. 1, or to the “unlocked” function position of FIG. 3, for example with the aid of the motorised drive, which is not shown. Then, locking element 9 is rotated about axis of rotation 10 by a corresponding rotating motion, and positioning element 8 follows the corresponding rotating motion. However, eccentric element or cam 6 remains in its “neutral position” as shown in FIG. 2.

[0041] A motorised drive 15, 16 depicted in the drawings interacts with two fingers 14a, 14b of the locking element 9. These two fingers 14a, 14b define a clearance which does not interact with a projection 16 of the motorised drive 15, 16. In the “neutral position” of the locking element 9 shown in FIG. 2 the two fingers 14a, 14b are free from the projection 16 which projects from the bottom of a driving disk 15 of the motorised drive 15, 16. Rotations of the driving disk 15 and therefore of the projection 16 have no effect in the locking element 9. The motorised drive 15, 16 can freely rotate in the locked or unlocked position of the motor vehicle door lock.

[0042] Starting from the “neutral position” of FIG. 2 locking element 9 performs a counterclockwise rotating movement to the transition to the “locked” position of FIG. 1. On the other hand, in order to reach the “unlocked” position of FIG. 3—starting from the neutral position shown in FIG. 2—locking element 9 is rotated clockwise about its axis of rotation 10. As was explained previously, this is effected by the lock cylinder nut 3 and cam 6 attached thereto which are rotated correspondingly with the aid of lock cylinder 1.

[0043] Besides the two “U” legs 7a, the U-shaped eccentric mounting 7 also has a U-base 7b. U-base 7b serves to provide additional support for cam 6, or assembly 3, 6 consisting of lock cylinder nut 3 and eccentric element 6. This means that U-base 7b functions as a bearing flange as well as pivot bearing mounting 5 in lock housing 4 for lock cylinder nut 3. Consequently, assembly 3, 6 consisting of lock cylinder nut 3 and eccentric element or cam 6 has a double bearing, in both pivot bearing mounting 5 and in U-base 7b of eccentric mounting 7. This means that the assembly 3, 6 in question is also secured axially.

[0044] The mode of operation is as follows. The “locked” state of the motor vehicle door lock is shown in FIG. 1. In this function position, eccentric element or cam 6 in eccentric mounting 7 assumes it left end position. At the same time, this causes locking element 9 to be moved to its first outermost rotating position, which corresponds to the “locked” state. In this function state, locking element 9 ensures that an actuating lever chain starting at an interior door handle or exterior door handle extending as far as a ratchet—also not shown—is interrupted, so that actions on said handles involving the ratchet are not completed. After it assumes the “locked” position shown in FIG. 1, lock cylinder and therewith also lock cylinder nut 3 is moved to the “neutral position” corresponding to that shown in FIG. 2. The motor vehicle door lock is in the “single lock” position.

[0045] If lock cylinder 1 is actuated again toward the “locked position”, eccentric element 6 moves to the position shown in FIG. 1 and stays in this position. The consequence of this is that locking element 9 is blocked. For this purpose, the function position corresponds to the “double lock” function position, as was described in the introduction with reference to the prior art according to DE 100 14 321 A1.

[0046] If lock cylinder nut 3, and therewith also the attached eccentric element or cam 6, is in the “neutral position” shown in FIG. 2, locking element 9 can subsequently be rotated about its axis 10, by motorised means, for example (and of course manually as well via lock cylinder 1). It is then possible for it to take up both the “locked” position of FIG. 1 and the “unlocked” position of FIG. 3. All that is needed is that the motorised drive—not shown—and its eccentric element engage in the corresponding mounting 13 of locking element 9, ensuring that it rotates about axis of rotation 10, either counterclockwise toward the “locked” position of FIG. 1 or clockwise toward the “unlocked” position of FIG. 3. According to the example shown in the drawings the locking element 9 does not move in the “neutral position” of FIG. 2, because the motorised drive 15, 16 can freely rotate without interaction with the locking element 9.

[0047] For the transition from the “neutral position” according to FIG. 2 to the “unlocked” position of FIG. 3, of course the operation may also be carried out such that lock cylinder 1 serves to rotate cylinder lock nut 3 clockwise from the “neutral position” of FIG. 2 until the “unlocked” function position of FIG. 3 is reached. Due to the interaction between cam 6 and one or both of the two “U” legs 7a of eccentric mounting 7, the effect of this rotary movement is to rotate locking element 9 clockwise about its axis of rotation 10. In the “unlocked position” of FIG. 3, locking element 9 ensures that the actuating lever chain that was interrupted in the “locked position” is restored again.

[0048] As a consequence of this, applying a force to the interior or exterior door handle means that the ratchet may be actuated and a desired opening effected. The associated motor vehicle door may then be opened.