Sliding door for motor vehicles

Abstract

A motor vehicle sliding door can be moved by a sliding movement between open and closed positions, wherein, in order to lock the sliding door in the open position, a mechanical door stop in the form of a locking latch which has a receiving region for a catch element of the sliding door is provided, and wherein the locking latch can be released by a motorized actuation device, whereby the catch element is released. In the event of failure of the motorized actuation device of the locking latch, for an intuitive unlocking and locking of the sliding door in the open position thereof may be achieved in that the locking latch has a resiliently loaded overload lever, in that the overload lever forms a lateral portion of the receiving region of the locking latch and in that, when the locking latch is locked, the overload lever can be pivoted outward when a specific pushing force of the sliding door is exceeded.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle sliding door which can be moved back and forth by a sliding movement between open and closed positions, wherein, in order to lock the sliding door in the open position thereof, a mechanical door stop comprising a locking latch which has a receiving region for a catch element of the sliding door is provided, and wherein the locking latch can be released by a motorized actuation device, whereby the catch element is released, wherein the locking latch has a resiliently loaded overload lever, the overload lever is pivotably coupled to the locking latch and forms a lateral portion of the receiving region of the locking latch and power is not required for the overload lever to retain the catch element to hold the sliding door in the open position, wherein the overload lever pivots outward due to a sliding motion between the catch element relative to the locking latch, said sliding notion of the catch element being caused by a sliding motion of the sliding door while the locking latch is in a locked position and a specific pushing force of the sliding door is exceeded without activating the actuation device.

2. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overload lever pivots outward and releases the sliding door when the pushing force applied to the sliding door in the unlocking direction exceeds a specific magnitude.

3. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overload lever pivots outward and locks the sliding door when the pushing force applied to the sliding door in the locking direction exceeds a specific magnitude.

4. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking latch is constructed as a rotary latch.

5. The sliding door as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rotary latch can be locked by a locking detent.

6. The sliding door as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an electromotive driver for actuating the locking detent.

7. The sliding door as claimed in claim 5, wherein the locking detent is pretensioned by a locking detent spring in a direction toward the locked position.

8. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overload lever pivots about an axis which extends transversely through the locking latch.

9. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking latch comprises an overload spring which is constructed as a helical or spiral spring to provide resilient tension on the overload lever.

10. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overload lever has at a side thereof located inside the receiving region an inner inclined actuation portion for engaging the catch element.

11. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the overload lever has, at a side thereof facing away from the receiving region, an inclined approach portion for engaging the catch element.

12. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the catch element which is provided on the sliding door is constructed as a guiding roller which is round in cross section.

13. The sliding door as claimed in claim 12, wherein the guiding roller which acts as a catch element is rotatably supported on the sliding door.

14. The sliding door as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving region of the locking latch, which region serves to lock the guiding roller, is constructed in the manner of a circular arc.

15. A vehicle sliding door comprising: a catch element; a locking latch comprising a resiliently loaded overload lever pivotably coupled to the locking latch and having a receiving region for receiving the catch element to lock the sliding door in an open position, wherein power is not required for the overload lever to retain the catch element to hold the sliding door in the open position; and a motorized actuation device for releasing the locking latch from the catch element, wherein the overload lever pivots outward due to a sliding motion of the catch element relative to the locking latch, said sliding motion of the catch element being caused by a sliding motion of the sliding door while the locking latch is in a locked position with a pushing force of the sliding door and without activating the actuation device.

16. The sliding door as claimed in claim 15, wherein the overload lever forms a lateral portion of the receiving region of the locking latch and has an inclined portion that engages the catch element.

17. The sliding door as claimed in claim 15, wherein the overload lever pivots outward and releases the sliding door when the pushing force applied to the sliding door in the unlocking direction exceeds a specific magnitude.

18. The sliding door as claimed in claim 15, wherein the locking latch comprises an overload spring to provide resilient tension on the overload lever.

19. The sliding door as claimed in claim 15, wherein the catch element is constructed as a guiding roller which is round in cross section and wherein the receiving region has a shape of a circular arc.

20. A vehicle sliding door comprising: a catch element; a locking latch comprising a resiliently loaded overload lever pivotably coupled to the locking latch and having a receiving region for receiving the catch element to lock the sliding door in an open position, wherein power is not required for the overload lever to retain the catch element to hold the sliding door in the open position; and a motorized actuation device for releasing the locking latch from the catch element, wherein the overload lever pivots outward due to a sliding motion of the catch element relative to the locking latch, said sliding motion of the catch element being caused by a sliding motion of the sliding door while the locking latch is in a locked position with a pushing force of the sliding door causing the catch element to engage an inclined portion of the overload lever, wherein the locking latch is directly contacted by the catch element and is caused to undergo rotation when moving between an unlocked position and the locked position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a view of the locking latch which is constructed as a rotary latch shown in the locked state;

(3) FIG. 2 is a view of the locking latch of FIG. 1, but with the rotary latch shown unlocked;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view of the locking latch of FIG. 2, in which the locking latch is locked and the unlocking is carried out by the resiliently loaded overload lever;

(5) FIG. 4 is a view of the locking latch in the locked position, in which the locking of the sliding door is intended to be carried out by redirection of the resiliently loaded overload lever;

(6) FIG. 5 is a view of the locking latch of FIG. 4, in which the overload lever is raised by the catch element of the sliding door;

(7) FIG. 6 is a view of the locking latch of FIGS. 4 and 5 in which the catch element of the sliding door assumes the locked position; and

(8) FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a motor vehicle sliding door employing the locking latch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) FIGS. 1-6 of the drawings substantially show the locking latch which is constructed as a rotary latch 2 and which is provided for a motor vehicle sliding door 24 shown in FIG. 7. The rotary latch which can be pushed back and forth by means of a sliding movement between an open and closed position. The rotary latch 2 illustrated in the drawing FIGS. 1-6 serves to lock the sliding door in the open position thereof. In this instance, the rotary latch 2 forms a mechanical door stop and has a receiving region 8 for a catch element of a sliding door. The catch element is in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings constructed as a guiding roller 5 which is round in cross section and which is rotatably supported on the sliding door.

(10) In FIG. 1 of the drawings, the rotary latch 2 is retained in the locked position thereof by means of a locking detent 1. In the locked position, the guiding roller 5 which is provided on the sliding door is located in the receiving region 8 of the rotary latch 2, whereby a locking of the open sliding door is ensured.

(11) The locking detent 1 can be actuated by means of an electromotive drive 22 which is illustrated in FIG. 7 operatively coupled to the locking latch 2 which, in turn, operates with the motor vehicle sliding door 24. When the locking detent 1 is actuated, the rotary latch 2 is unlocked and can then assume the unlocking position illustrated in FIG. 2. In this position, the sliding door can be comfortably pushed into the locking position and released from it again without a relatively great application of force being required from an operator.

(12) When the sliding door is opened and in order to lock the sliding door in the open position thereof, the guiding roller 5 can be readily introduced in the direction of the arrow 10 into the rotary latch 2. As soon as the guiding roller 5 has reached the receiving region 8 and presses against the left-hand portion of the receiving region 8 in FIG. 2, the rotary latch 2 pivots into the locked position thereof in which the locking detent 1 as a result of a pretensioning applied by the locking detent spring 3 engages in the position illustrated in FIG. 1.

(13) If the sliding door is subsequently intended to be closed again and has to be unlocked for this purpose, the locking detent 1 is moved via the electromotive drive thereof counter to the force of the locking detent spring 3 into the position illustrated in FIG. 2, in which the guiding roller 5 can be pushed back in the direction of the arrow 9 comfortably and with little application of force into the closed position thereof.

(14) Should the electromotive actuation mechanism ever fail, for example, in the event of a power failure or in the event of mechanical damage of the transmission mechanism between the electromotive drive and the locking detent 1, assistance is provided by the construction of the locking latch, according to the invention.

(15) To this end, there is provided on the rotary latch 2 an overload lever 6 which can be pivoted about an axis 7 which extends transversely through the rotary latch 2. The overload lever 6 forms at the right-hand side of the drawing figures a lateral portion of the receiving region 8 of the rotary latch 2. The overload lever 6 is held by means of an overload spring 4 in the position which is illustrated in FIG. 1 and in which the receiving region 8 maintains a circular-arc form which is adapted to the cross section of the guiding roller 5.

(16) In FIGS. 4-6, it is shown how the locking of the sliding door can be carried out when the electromotive actuation mechanism for the rotary latch 2 fails. In this instance, the locking detent 1 remains in the locking position thereof so that the rotary latch 2 cannot assume the unlocking position illustrated in FIG. 2.

(17) In order to lock the sliding door in the open position thereof, the guiding roller 5 of the sliding door moves according to FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrow 10 against an inclined approach portion 11 which is provided on the overload lever 6, whereby the overload lever 6, when the guiding roller 5 is moved further in the direction of the arrow 10, is lifted counter to the force of the overload spring 4 into the position illustrated in FIG. 5.

(18) When the guiding roller 5 finally assumes the locking position which is illustrated in FIG. 6 and in which it is located in the receiving region 8, the overload lever 6 pivots downward as a result of the force applied by the overload spring 4 and closes the receiving region 8 so that the guiding roller 5 is securely locked in the rotary latch 2.

(19) The unlocking of the guiding roller 5 and consequently the sliding door is carried out in the reverse order to the locking.

(20) If the pushing force applied to the sliding door in order to close the sliding door exceeds a specific magnitude, the guiding roller 5, as illustrated in FIG. 3, presses against the inner inclined portion 12 of the overload lever 6 so that it is lifted counter to the force of the overload spring 4. The guiding roller 5 can then move in the direction of the arrow 9 out of the receiving region 8.

(21) When the guiding roller 5 has reached the unlocked position illustrated in FIG. 3, the sliding door can be pushed with little force into the locked position thereof.

(22) As a result of the invention, there is thus provided a sliding door mechanism, by means of which, using an electromotive actuation mechanism which releases the locking detent 1 and consequently the rotary latch 2, the sliding door of a vehicle can be locked comfortably and with little force in the open position and can subsequently be unlocked again. However, in the event of failure of this system, it is further possible to lock and unlock the sliding door by means of the overload lever 6 by the pushing force which is applied to the sliding door being increased slightly in order to exceed a critical magnitude of the pushing force, at which the sliding door can then be locked and subsequently unlocked again.

(23) It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.