A new type of electric tailgate lock

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel electric tailgate lock, comprising a housing, a lock tongue, a lock tongue return spring, a pawl, a pawl return spring, a pawl signal lever, a pawl signal lever return spring, a micro switch, an electric drive unit, a manual drive unit, and a circuit unit. The pawl cooperates with the lock tongue to realize full locking, half locking, and opening of the lock tongue. When the lock tongue changes from full locking to half locking and then to opening, the electric drive unit or the manual drive unit drives the pawl to rotate, and the pawl drives the pawl signal lever to rotate. The rotation of the pawl signal lever compresses the micro switch. When the lock tongue changes from opening to half locking and then to full locking, the pawl and the pawl signal lever are reset under the action of the return spring, releasing the micro switch. Therefore, the micro switch changes the on-off state of the signal output circuit according to the state of the pawl, thereby outputting a feedback signal of the lock body state. The present invention can not only feedback the open and closed state of the lock body, but also has a compact lock body structure, good sealing performance, and low manufacturing cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of automobile locks, and in particular relates to a novel electric tailgate lock. Background Art

[0002] With the development of the automotive industry, the "New Four Modernizations" have become the core of the industry, and consumers are increasingly demanding intelligent and electrified vehicles. This has given rise to the electric tailgate system. As part of the electric tailgate system, the grab lock is a critical component of the vehicle body, integrating safety, decorative features, and functionality. Existing tailgate locks do not provide feedback on the lock body's open or closed status after the door is opened or closed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention is made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a new type of electric tailgate lock that can feedback the open and closed status of the lock body and has a compact lock body structure, good sealing performance and low manufacturing cost.

[0004] The present invention provides a novel electric tailgate lock, which is characterized by comprising:

[0005] The housing is provided with a plug connector portion;

[0006] A lock tongue is rotatably mounted on the housing, and is provided with semi-locking meshing teeth and full-locking meshing teeth;

[0007] a lock tongue return spring, one end of which is mounted on the lock tongue and the other end of which is mounted on the housing;

[0008] a ratchet rotatably mounted on the housing and cooperating with the lock tongue to fully lock, partially lock, or open the lock tongue;

[0009] a pawl return spring, one end of which is mounted on the pawl and the other end of which is mounted on the housing;

[0010] a ratchet signal lever rotatably mounted on the housing, coaxially rotating with the ratchet, located between the ratchet and the housing, cooperating with the ratchet so that the ratchet can push the ratchet signal lever to rotate, and the ratchet signal lever is always in contact with the lock tongue;

[0011] a ratchet signal lever return spring, one end of which is mounted on the housing and the other end of which is mounted on the ratchet signal lever;

[0012] a micro switch mounted on the housing, wherein the micro switch is mounted at a position such that when the pawl pushes the pawl signal lever to rotate, the pawl does not contact the micro switch, and the pawl signal lever can compress or release the micro switch;

[0013] The electric drive unit includes: a motor mounted on the housing, a worm fixed to the motor shaft of the motor, a worm wheel rotatably mounted on the housing and meshing with the worm, and a worm wheel return spring with two ends respectively mounted on the housing and the worm wheel, a push block being provided on the worm wheel, one end of the pawl facing the worm wheel and cooperating with the push block, so that the push block can push the pawl to rotate when the worm wheel rotates;

[0014] A manual drive unit comprises: an unlocking transition pull rod rotatably mounted on the housing, an unlocking transition pull rod return spring with two ends respectively mounted on the housing and the unlocking transition pull rod, and an unlocking pull rod fixed to the unlocking transition pull rod, wherein the unlocking transition pull rod cooperates with the pawl to push the pawl to rotate; and

[0015] The circuit unit includes: a power supply circuit installed on the housing and connected to the motor, and a signal output circuit installed on the housing and connected to the micro switch, wherein the electrical pins of the power supply circuit and the signal output circuit are located in the plug connector part and form a plug connector connected to an external device.

[0016] Furthermore, in a new type of electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it can also have the following characteristics: a push plate and a pressing plate are provided on the side of the pawl signal lever facing the pawl, the push plate is located on the side of the pawl signal lever away from the lock tongue, the pressing plate is located at the end of the pawl signal lever facing the micro switch, the pressing plate and the micro switch are in the same rotation plane, the pawl signal lever rotates, the pressing plate compresses or releases the micro switch, the pawl has a step feature, the end of the pawl facing the worm gear is an upper step, and the end of the pawl installed on the housing is a lower step. After the pawl and the pawl signal lever are installed, the height of the pressing plate is lower than the bottom side of the upper step.

[0017] Furthermore, in a new type of electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it can also have the following characteristics: the fully locked meshing teeth are completely transparent tooth grooves in the thickness direction of the lock tongue, and the semi-locked meshing teeth are blind hole tooth grooves that are not transparent in the thickness direction of the lock tongue. When the lock tongue is in the semi-locked position, the pawl engages with the blind hole tooth groove, and the pawl signal lever contacts the non-transparent part of the semi-locked meshing teeth. In the process of the lock tongue changing from fully locked to open, the pawl signal lever compresses or releases the micro switch before rotating to the semi-locked position.

[0018] Furthermore, in a new type of electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it can also have the following characteristics: a second groove is provided on the side of the pawl facing away from the pawl signal lever, and a first protrusion is provided on the unlocking transition rod, and the first protrusion extends into the second groove.

[0019] Furthermore, in a new type of electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it can also have the following characteristics: a boss is provided on the side of the pawl facing the lock tongue, an elastic release wall is provided on the outer shell, one end of the elastic release wall is fixed on the outer shell, and the other end is suspended, and a second protrusion is provided on the lock tongue, and the suspended end of the elastic release wall cooperates with the boss to realize the snow load function, and the position of the second protrusion on the lock tongue and the shape of the elastic release wall meet the following requirements: when the lock tongue is in the semi-locked position and the pawl is disengaged from the semi-locking engaging teeth, the suspended end of the elastic release wall contacts a side wall of the boss facing the suspended end of the elastic release wall, and when the lock tongue moves from the semi-locked position to the open position, the second protrusion can push the elastic release wall to swing toward the direction of the worm gear.

[0020] Furthermore, in a new type of electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it can also have the following characteristics: a snow-loaded spring is provided on the outer shell, one end of the snow-loaded spring is restricted by the outer shell, and the other end is restricted by the elastic release wall toward the side of the worm gear.

[0021] Furthermore, in the novel electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it may also have the following characteristics: the power supply circuit is two first conductive metal sheets, one end of the two first conductive metal sheets is connected to the motor, and the other end is an electrical pin,

[0022] The signal output circuit is two second conductive metal sheets, one end of the two second conductive metal sheets is connected to the micro switch, and the other end is an electrical pin.

[0023] Furthermore, in a new type of electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it can also have the following characteristics: the electric drive unit also includes: a worm gear limiting buffer block, which is installed on the outer shell, at least a part of which is located within the rotation radius of the push block, and is used to limit the rotation angle of the worm gear and buffer the worm gear after the worm gear rotates to the maximum angle.

[0024] Furthermore, in a new type of electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it can also have the following characteristics: the new type of electric tailgate lock also includes a lock buffer block, which is installed in the opening part of the shell and has a buffering effect on the shell when an external force drives the lock tongue to close.

[0025] Furthermore, in a new type of electric tailgate lock provided by the present invention, it can also have the following characteristics: the new type of electric tailgate lock also includes a pawl buffer block, which is installed on the outer shell and is located on the side of the pawl facing away from the lock tongue, and has a buffering effect on the pawl after the pawl rotates.

[0026] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0027] According to a new type of electric tailgate lock involved in the present invention, the micro switch will change the on-off state of the signal output circuit according to the opening and closing state of the pawl, realize signal conversion, and thus output a feedback signal of the lock body state, realizing the signal feedback function.

[0028] The design and coordination of various structures make the lock body of the novel electric tailgate lock of the present invention compact in structure, good in sealing performance and low in manufacturing cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 2. It is a schematic structural diagram of a novel electric tailgate lock according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Main view with the cover removed (the lock tongue is in the fully locked state);

[0031] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Rear view with the shell removed;

[0032] Figure 4 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a novel electric tailgate lock according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of segment A;

[0034] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of middle segment B;

[0035] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 Enlarged view of middle segment C;

[0036] Figure 8 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the unlocking pull rod drive in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a manual drive unit in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the pawl and the pawl signal lever in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 11yes Figure 10 The main view;

[0040] Figure 12 It is a partial structural front view when the lock tongue is in a semi-locked state;

[0041] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the positions of the lock tongue and the pawl signal lever when the lock tongue is in a semi-locked state;

[0042] Figure 14 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the elastic release wall and the snow load spring in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 15 This is a diagram showing the position relationship between the pawl and the release wall spring when the lock tongue is in a semi-locked state;

[0044] Figure 16 1 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of the present invention easier to understand, the following embodiments and accompanying drawings specifically illustrate a new type of electric tailgate lock of the present invention.

[0046] A novel electric tailgate lock 100 is mounted on the tailgate of a car and cooperates with a lock column to lock and unlock the tailgate of the car.

[0047] like Figure 1-7 As shown, a new type of electric tailgate lock 100 includes: a housing 101, a lock tongue 102, a lock tongue return spring 103, a pawl 104, a pawl return spring 105, a pawl signal lever 106, a pawl signal lever return spring 107, a micro switch 108, an electric drive unit, a manual drive unit, and a circuit unit 109.

[0048] The housing 101 is provided with a plug connector portion 14. In this embodiment, the housing 101 includes a housing 11, an upper cover plate 12, and a lower cover plate 13. The plug connector portion includes an upper housing 131 and a lower housing 132. The upper housing 131 is integrally formed with the upper cover plate 12, and the lower housing 132 is integrally formed with the housing 11.

[0049] Lock tongue 102 is rotatably mounted on housing 101, specifically, on casing 11. A first rotating shaft is provided on casing 11, which is a rivet riveted to casing 11. Lock tongue 102 is sleeved onto the first rotating shaft. During installation, lock tongue 102 is first sleeved onto the rivet, and then lower cover 13 is installed. Lock tongue 102 is provided with full-locking meshing teeth 1021 and partial-locking meshing teeth 1022.

[0050] One end of the lock tongue return spring 103 is mounted on the lock tongue 102, and the other end is mounted on the housing 11. In this embodiment, the lock tongue return spring 103 is a torsion spring, with a spring coil mounted on the first rotating shaft. When the lock tongue 102 is rotated by a force, and the force is removed, the lock tongue return spring 103 returns the lock tongue 102 to its initial state, i.e., the state before the force was applied. Specifically, the lock tongue return spring 103 is a torsion spring.

[0051] The pawl 104 is rotatably mounted on the housing 101, specifically, on the casing 11. The casing 11 is provided with a second rotating shaft, which is a rivet riveted to the casing 11. The pawl 104 is mounted on the second rotating shaft. During installation, the pawl 104 is first mounted on the rivet, and then the lower cover 13 is installed. The pawl 104 cooperates with the lock tongue 102 to fully lock, partially lock, or open the lock tongue. The pawl 104 engages with the semi-locking meshing teeth 1022, placing the lock tongue in a semi-locked state; the pawl 104 engages with the fully locked meshing teeth 1021, placing the lock tongue in a fully locked state.

[0052] One end of the pawl return spring 105 is mounted on the pawl 104, and the other end is mounted on the housing 11. After the pawl 104 rotates under force and the force disappears, the pawl return spring 105 returns the pawl 104 to its initial state, that is, the state before the force rotation. Specifically, the pawl return spring 105 is a torsion spring.

[0053] In this embodiment, the new electric tailgate lock 100 further includes a pawl buffer block 110, which is mounted on the housing 11. The pawl buffer block 110 is located on the side of the pawl 104 facing away from the lock tongue 102 and acts as a buffer for the pawl 104 after rotation. Specifically, the pawl buffer block 110 is made of an elastic material.

[0054] like Figure 8 As shown, the lock tongue 102 and the pawl 104 form a ratchet mechanism, and the lock tongue return spring 103 and the pawl return spring 105 ensure that the lock tongue 102 and the pawl 104 always keep in contact.

[0055] like Figure 2 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11 As shown, the pawl signal lever 106 is rotatably mounted on the housing 11 and has the same rotation axis as the pawl 104. The pawl signal lever 106 is located between the pawl 104 and the housing 11. The pawl signal lever 106 cooperates with the pawl 104, and the pawl 104 can push the pawl signal lever to rotate.

[0056] One end of the ratchet signal lever return spring 107 is mounted on the housing 11, and the other end is mounted on the ratchet signal lever 106. After the ratchet signal lever 106 is rotated by the ratchet 104 and the ratchet 104 is reset by the ratchet return spring 105, the ratchet signal lever return spring 107 returns the ratchet signal lever 106 to its initial state, i.e., the state before being rotated by the ratchet 104. Specifically, the ratchet signal lever return spring 107 is a torsion spring. The ratchet signal lever return spring 107 ensures that the ratchet signal lever 106 and the lock tongue 104 are in constant contact. Specifically, this contact is achieved when the lock tongue 102 is in the fully locked state.

[0057] The micro switch 108 is mounted on the housing 11. When the pawl 104 pushes the pawl signal lever 106 to rotate, the pawl 104 does not contact the micro switch 108, and the pawl signal lever 106 can compress or release the micro switch 108. Therefore, when the lock tongue 102 is in different states (locked or unlocked, locking includes fully locked and partially locked), the micro switch 108 is in different on-off states.

[0058] In this embodiment, if Figure 5 、 Figure 13 As shown, a push plate 1061 and a pressing plate 1062 are provided on the side of the ratchet signal lever 106 facing the ratchet 104. The push plate 1061 is located on the side of the ratchet signal lever 106 away from the lock tongue 102, and the pressing plate 1062 is located at the end of the ratchet signal lever 106 facing the micro switch 108. The pressing plate 1062 and the micro switch 108 are in the same rotation plane. The ratchet 104 has a stepped feature, with the end facing the worm gear 23 being an upper step and the end mounted on the housing 11 being a lower step. Figure 11 As shown, after the pawl 104 and the pawl signal lever 106 are installed, the height of the pressing plate 106 is lower than the bottom side of the upper step.

[0059] In this embodiment, if Figure 5 、 Figure 13 As shown, the fully locked meshing teeth 1021 are completely transparent tooth grooves in the thickness direction of the lock tongue 102, and the semi-locked meshing teeth 1022 are blind hole tooth grooves that are not transparent in the thickness direction of the lock tongue 102. In the process of the lock tongue 102 from being fully locked to being opened, the pawl signal lever 106 compresses or releases the micro switch 108 before rotating to the semi-locked position. In this embodiment, when the lock tongue 102 is in the fully locked state, the micro switch 108 is not compressed. In the process of the lock tongue 102 from being fully locked to being opened, the pawl signal lever 106 compresses the micro switch 108 before rotating to the semi-locked position. Specifically, when the lock tongue 102 is in the fully locked state, the micro switch 108 is not compressed. Figure 3When viewed from the direction of the left side of the pressing plate 1062, the left side contacts the micro switch 108. When the pawl signal lever 106 rotates, the pressing plate 1062 compresses the micro switch 108. When the lock tongue 102 is in the semi-locked position, the pawl 104 engages with the semi-locked meshing tooth 1022. Figure 13 As shown, the pawl signal lever 106 contacts the non-transparent portion of the semi-locking meshing tooth 1022 and does not mesh with the semi-locking meshing tooth 1022. Figure 12 As shown, when the lock tongue 102 is in the semi-locked position, the pawl 104 and the pawl signal lever 106 are separated. That is, when the pawl 104 pushes the pawl signal lever 106 to rotate to the semi-locked position, if the force on the pawl 104 ends, the pawl 104 engages with the semi-locked meshing tooth 1022 under the elastic force of the pawl return spring 105, and the pawl signal lever 106 does not move. Since the lock tongue 102 progresses from fully locked to open: fully locked - semi-locked - open, it may sometimes be in the semi-locked state, and the micro switch 108 is already compressed before the pawl 104 rotates to the semi-locked position. Therefore, the semi-locked meshing tooth 1022 is configured as a blind hole tooth groove. This ensures that when the lock tongue 102 is in the semi-locked position, the pawl signal lever 106 does not release the micro switch 108 due to engagement with the semi-locked meshing tooth 1022, thereby causing a signal flip in the semi-locked state.

[0060] The electric drive unit is used to automatically drive the lock tongue to open or lock. The electric drive unit includes: a motor 21, a worm 22, a worm gear 23, and a worm gear return spring 24. The motor 21 is mounted on the housing 101, the worm 22 is fixed to the motor shaft of the motor 21, the worm gear 23 is rotatably mounted on the housing 11 and meshes with the worm 22, and one end of the worm gear return spring 24 is mounted on the housing 11 and the other end is mounted on the worm gear 23. Specifically, the worm gear return spring 24 is a torsion spring. A push block 231 is provided on the worm gear 23. One end of the pawl 104 faces the worm gear 23 and cooperates with the push block 231. When the worm gear 23 rotates, the push block 231 can push the pawl 104 to rotate.

[0061] In this embodiment, the electric drive unit further includes a worm gear limiter 25. This worm gear limiter 25 is mounted on the housing 11, with at least a portion located within the rotation radius of the pusher 231. This limiter 25 is used to limit the rotation angle of the worm gear 23 and provide a buffer for the worm gear 23 after it has rotated to its maximum angle. Specifically, the worm gear limiter 25 is made of an elastic material.

[0062] The manual drive unit is used to manually drive the lock tongue to open or lock. Figure 8 、 Figure 9 As shown, the manual drive unit includes: an unlocking transition pull rod 31 , an unlocking transition pull rod return spring 32 and an unlocking pull rod 33 .

[0063] The unlocking transition rod 31 is rotatably mounted on the housing 11. The unlocking transition rod 31 cooperates with the pawl 104 to push the pawl 104 to rotate. Figure 8 As shown, a second groove 1041 is provided on the side of the pawl 104 facing away from the pawl signal lever 106. Figure 9 As shown, a first protrusion 311 is provided on the unlocking transition rod 31 , and the first protrusion 311 extends into the second groove 1041 .

[0064] One end of the unlocking transition rod return spring 32 is mounted on the housing 11, and the other end is mounted on the unlocking transition rod 31. Specifically, the unlocking transition rod return spring 32 is a torsion spring. The unlocking rod 33 is fixed to the unlocking transition rod 31. The unlocking rod 33 and the unlocking transition rod 31 are respectively located on either side of the cover plate 12. The unlocking transition rod 31 is located inside the housing 101, while the unlocking rod 33 is located outside the housing 101. Rotating the unlocking rod 33 rotates the unlocking transition rod 31, which in turn rotates the pawl 104.

[0065] In this embodiment, if Figure 8 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 11 As shown, a boss 1042 is provided on the side of the pawl 104 facing the lock tongue 102. Figure 2 、 Figure 14 、 Figure 15 As shown, an elastic release wall 14 is provided on the shell 11, and the elastic release wall 14 cooperates with the boss 1042 to realize the snow load function of the new electric tailgate lock. One end of the elastic release wall 14 is fixed on the shell 11, and the other end is suspended. The suspended end of the elastic release wall 14 cooperates with the boss 1042, and the elastic release wall 14 can swing. A second protrusion 1023 is provided on the lock tongue 102. The position of the second protrusion 1023 on the lock tongue 102 and the shape of the elastic release wall 14 meet the following requirements: when the lock tongue 102 is in the semi-locked position and the pawl 104 is disengaged from the semi-locking meshing tooth 1022, the suspended end of the elastic release wall 14 contacts the side wall of the boss 1042 facing the suspended end of the elastic release wall 14; when the lock tongue 102 changes from the semi-locked position to the open position, the second protrusion 1023 can push the elastic release wall 14 to swing toward the direction of the worm gear 23. Figure 2 When the lock tongue 102 is in the fully locked state, the suspended end of the elastic release wall 14 is located above the boss 1042. When the lock tongue 102 is moved from the fully locked state to the open state, the boss 1042 slowly moves out from under the elastic release wall 14. When the lock tongue 102 reaches the semi-locked position and the pawl 104 is disengaged from the semi-locking meshing tooth 1022, as shown in FIG. Figure 15As shown, the free end of the elastic release wall 14 contacts a sidewall of the boss 1042 facing the free end of the elastic release wall 14. Then, the second protrusion 1023 pushes the elastic release wall 14 to swing toward the worm gear 23, and the boss 1042 moves away from the elastic release wall 14. When the lock tongue 102 is in the open position, the elastic release wall 14 swings to its maximum position and is blocked by the second protrusion 1023, preventing it from returning to its original position. This allows the pawl 104 to return to its original position when the lock tongue 102 transitions from the open position to the fully locked position. When the lock tongue 102 transitions from the open position to the fully locked position, the second protrusion 1023 rotates, gradually releasing the restraint on the elastic release wall 14, causing the elastic release wall 14 to swing back toward the lock tongue 102. The pawl 104 and the elastic release wall 14 cooperate synchronously during this return process, so that after the return, the boss 1042 is located below the free end of the elastic release wall 14, returning to the initial fully locked position. When there is snow or other heavy objects on the tailgate, when it is unlocked electrically or manually, the pawl 104 is pushed open, but the lock tongue 102 does not return to its original position. At this time, due to the lack of the pushing and blocking effect of the second protrusion 1023, when the pawl 104 rotates and the rear boss 1042 moves out from under the elastic release wall 14, the elastic release wall 14 only swings slightly and then returns to its original position. Therefore, the pawl 104 is blocked by the elastic release wall 14 and cannot return to its original position. At this time, the door can be opened manually directly without the need for secondary unlocking.

[0066] Specifically, the new electric tailgate lock also includes a snow spring 112, which is mounted on the housing 11. Specifically, the housing 11 is provided with a rotating shaft, on which the snow spring 112 is mounted. The rotating shaft is used to limit the position of the snow spring 112. One end of the snow spring 112 is restrained by the housing 11, and the other end is restrained by the elastic release wall 14 on the side facing the worm gear 23. During the process of opening the lock tongue 102, the elastic release wall 14 swings toward the worm gear 23, and the pawl 104 disengages from the elastic release wall 14. The snow spring 112 then assists the elastic release wall 14 in swinging back to its original position.

[0067] The circuit unit 109 includes: a power supply circuit and a signal output circuit. Figure 16As shown, the power supply circuit is mounted on the housing 101, and the power supply circuit is connected to the motor 21. Specifically, the motor 21 includes a motor body, a capacitor and a resistor wire connected in series with the motor body, and their circuits. The signal output circuit is mounted on the housing 101, and the signal output circuit is connected to the micro switch 108. The electrical pins of the power supply circuit and the signal output circuit are located in the plug connector part 14 and form a plug connector connected to an external device. After the plug connector is connected to the external device, the opening and closing information of the lock tongue 102 can be transmitted to the external system, and power can also be obtained to drive the motor 10 to work. The signal output circuit defines different feedback signal types according to different car electrical platforms. For example, the micro switch closed output signal is defined as "1", and the micro switch open output signal is defined as "0". The driver can know whether the tailgate lock is in the open state or the locked state (including full lock and half lock) based on the feedback number 1 or 0.

[0068] In this embodiment, the power supply circuit comprises two first conductive metal sheets, one end of which is connected to the motor 21 and the other end is the electrical appliance pin (A / C). The signal output circuit comprises two second conductive metal sheets, one end of which is connected to the micro switch 108 and the other end is the electrical appliance pin (B / D).

[0069] In this embodiment, the new electric tailgate lock further includes a latch buffer 111, which is mounted at the opening of the housing 101 and acts as a buffer for the housing 101 when an external force drives the lock tongue 102 to close. Specifically, the latch buffer 111 is made of an elastic material.

[0070] Working process:

[0071] The lock tongue changes from locked state to unlocked state:

[0072] When the lock tongue is locked, the worm gear return spring 24 is free, and the unlocking transition lever return spring 32 is free. The pawl return spring 105 and the pawl signal lever return spring 107 are at their minimum stress, the lock tongue return spring 103 is at its maximum stress, and the micro switch 108 is not compressed and is in the off state.

[0073] Manual unlocking process: Figure 2From the direction of the clockwise direction, the unlocking lever 33 is rotated counterclockwise using a key or a finger. This causes the unlocking transition lever 31 to rotate counterclockwise, which in turn causes the pawl 104 to rotate clockwise, thereby releasing the lock tongue 102 and unlocking the door. The clockwise rotation of the pawl 104 causes the pawl signal lever 106 to rotate clockwise. During the unlocking process, the pawl 104 first rotates clockwise to a certain angle and then engages with the semi-locking engagement tooth 1022, entering the semi-locked state. The unlocking transition lever 31 then continues to rotate the pawl 104 clockwise, entering the fully locked state. Before entering the semi-locked state, the pawl signal lever 106 compresses the microswitch 108, closing it and energizing the signal output circuit, causing the signal to flip, thereby outputting a feedback signal indicating the lock body is open.

[0074] When the external force driving the unlocking lever 33 to rotate disappears, the unlocking lever 31 rotates clockwise and returns to its original position under the restoring force of the unlocking lever return spring 32, and the unlocking lever 33 returns to its original position driven by the unlocking lever 31. The pawl 104 and the pawl signal lever 106 are restrained by the lock tongue 102 and cannot return to their original position. The pawl return spring 105 and the pawl signal lever return spring 107 are under maximum force.

[0075] Automatic unlocking process: The vehicle body control unit sends a corresponding pulse signal to the power circuit to drive the motor 21 to work, and the motor 21 drives the worm 22 to rotate. Figure 2 From the direction of rotation, the worm 22 drives the worm wheel 23 to rotate counterclockwise, and the push block 231 rotates counterclockwise with the worm wheel 23. The push block 231 pushes the pawl 104 to rotate clockwise, thereby releasing the lock tongue 102 and unlocking the door. The clockwise rotation of the pawl 104 drives the pawl signal lever 106 to rotate clockwise. During the unlocking process, the pawl 104 first rotates clockwise to a certain angle and then engages with the semi-locking meshing tooth 1022, entering the semi-locked state. The unlocking transition lever 31 then continues to rotate the pawl 104 clockwise, entering the fully locked state. Before entering the semi-locked state, the pawl signal lever 106 compresses the microswitch 108, closing the microswitch 108 and conducting the signal output circuit, achieving signal inversion and outputting a feedback signal indicating the lock body is open.

[0076] When the motor 21 stops working, Figure 2 When viewed from the direction of the worm wheel, the worm wheel 23 rotates clockwise and resets under the restoring force of the worm wheel reset spring 24.

[0077] The lock tongue changes from unlocked state to locked state:

[0078] When the lock tongue is in the unlocked state, the pawl return spring 105 and the pawl signal lever return spring 107 are in the maximum force state, the lock tongue return spring 103 is in the free state, and the micro switch 108 is compressed and in the on state.

[0079] The lock tongue 102 rotates under the action of external force to lock the Figure 3 When viewed from the direction of rotation, the lock tongue 102 rotates clockwise, engaging the pawl 104 and sequentially entering the semi-locked and fully locked states. As the lock tongue 102 rotates clockwise, the pawl return spring 105 and the pawl signal lever return spring 107 gradually release energy, gradually reducing the applied force. When the lock tongue 102 rotates to the semi-locked position, the microswitch 108 remains closed. As the lock tongue 102 rotates from the semi-locked position to the fully locked position, the microswitch 108 opens, disconnecting the signal output circuit and reversing the signal, thereby outputting a feedback signal indicating the locked state of the lock body. When the lock tongue 102 rotates to the fully locked position, the restoring force of the pawl return spring 105 and the pawl signal lever return spring 107 causes the pawl 104 and the pawl signal lever 106 to engage with the fully locked meshing teeth 1021, placing the lock tongue in the fully locked position.

[0080] The opening and closing of the micro switch 108 corresponds to the locked (including half-locked and fully locked) and open states of the bolt. By opening and closing the micro switch 108, the on-off state of the signal output circuit is changed, realizing signal conversion. Therefore, the open and closed state of the lock body can be determined based on different signals, realizing the signal feedback function of the bolt switch state.

[0081] The above embodiments are preferred examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A new type of electric tailgate lock, characterized by: include: The housing is provided with a plug connector portion; A lock tongue is rotatably mounted on the housing, and is provided with semi-locking meshing teeth and full-locking meshing teeth; a lock tongue return spring, one end of which is mounted on the lock tongue and the other end of which is mounted on the housing; a ratchet rotatably mounted on the housing and cooperating with the lock tongue to fully lock, partially lock, or open the lock tongue; a pawl return spring, one end of which is mounted on the pawl and the other end of which is mounted on the housing; a ratchet signal lever rotatably mounted on the housing, coaxially rotating with the ratchet, located between the ratchet and the housing, cooperating with the ratchet so that the ratchet can push the ratchet signal lever to rotate, and the ratchet signal lever is always in contact with the lock tongue; a ratchet signal lever return spring, one end of which is mounted on the housing and the other end of which is mounted on the ratchet signal lever; a micro switch mounted on the housing, wherein the micro switch is mounted at a position such that when the pawl pushes the pawl signal lever to rotate, the pawl does not contact the micro switch, and the pawl signal lever can compress or release the micro switch; The electric drive unit includes: a motor mounted on the housing, a worm fixed to the motor shaft of the motor, a worm wheel rotatably mounted on the housing and meshing with the worm, and a worm wheel return spring with two ends respectively mounted on the housing and the worm wheel, a push block being provided on the worm wheel, one end of the pawl facing the worm wheel and cooperating with the push block, so that the push block can push the pawl to rotate when the worm wheel rotates; A manual drive unit comprises: an unlocking transition pull rod rotatably mounted on the housing, an unlocking transition pull rod return spring with two ends respectively mounted on the housing and the unlocking transition pull rod, and an unlocking pull rod fixed to the unlocking transition pull rod, wherein the unlocking transition pull rod cooperates with the pawl to push the pawl to rotate; and The circuit unit includes: a power supply circuit installed on the housing and connected to the motor, and a signal output circuit installed on the housing and connected to the micro switch, wherein the electrical pins of the power supply circuit and the signal output circuit are located in the plug connector part and form a plug connector connected to an external device.

2. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 1 is characterized by: A push plate and a pressing plate are provided on the side of the pawl signal lever facing the pawl, the push plate is located on the side of the pawl signal lever away from the lock tongue, the pressing plate is located at the end of the pawl signal lever facing the micro switch, the pressing plate and the micro switch are in the same rotation plane, and the pawl signal lever rotates, the pressing plate compresses or releases the micro switch, the pawl has a step feature, the end of the pawl facing the worm gear is an upper step, and the end of the pawl installed on the housing is a lower step. After the pawl and the pawl signal lever are installed, the height of the pressing plate is lower than the bottom side of the upper step.

3. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 1 is characterized by: The fully locked meshing teeth are completely transparent in the thickness direction of the lock tongue, and the semi-locked meshing teeth are blind hole tooth grooves that are not transparent in the thickness direction of the lock tongue. When the lock tongue is in the semi-locked position, the pawl engages with the blind hole tooth groove, and the pawl signal lever contacts the non-transparent part of the semi-locked meshing teeth. In the process of the lock tongue being changed from fully locked to opened, the pawl signal lever compresses or releases the micro switch before rotating to the semi-locked position.

4. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 1 is characterized by: A second groove is provided on a side of the pawl facing away from the pawl signal lever, and a first protrusion is provided on the unlocking transition rod, and the first protrusion extends into the second groove.

5. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 1 is characterized by: A boss is provided on the side of the pawl facing the lock tongue, and an elastic release wall is provided on the shell, one end of the elastic release wall is fixed on the shell, and the other end is suspended. A second protrusion is provided on the lock tongue, and the suspended end of the elastic release wall cooperates with the boss to realize the snow load function. The position of the second protrusion on the lock tongue and the shape of the elastic release wall meet the following requirements: when the lock tongue is in the semi-locked position and the pawl is disengaged from the semi-locked engaging teeth, the suspended end of the elastic release wall contacts a side wall of the boss facing the suspended end of the elastic release wall, and when the lock tongue moves from the semi-locked position to the open position, the second protrusion can push the elastic release wall to swing toward the direction of the worm gear.

6. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 5 is characterized by: A snow load spring is provided on the housing. One end of the snow load spring is restricted by the housing, and the other end is restricted by the elastic release wall on a side facing the worm gear.

7. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 1 is characterized by: The power supply circuit is composed of two first conductive metal sheets, one end of which is connected to the motor and the other end is an electrical pin. The signal output circuit is two second conductive metal sheets, one end of the two second conductive metal sheets is connected to the micro switch, and the other end is an electrical pin.

8. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 1 is characterized by: The electric drive unit also includes: a worm gear limiting buffer block, which is installed on the housing, at least a portion of which is located within the rotation radius of the push block, and is used to limit the rotation angle of the worm gear and buffer the worm gear after the worm gear rotates to the maximum angle.

9. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Also includes: The lock buffer block is installed at the opening part of the shell and plays a buffering role on the shell when the lock tongue is driven to close by an external force.

10. The new electric tailgate lock according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The pawl buffer block is mounted on the housing and is located on a side of the pawl facing away from the lock tongue, and plays a buffering role for the pawl after the pawl rotates.

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